Colin Kaepernick Is Perfect Backup Quarterback for Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers don't immediately require quarterback help, but the perfect backup is available if they need to address the position in the near future.

Colin Kaepernick should not have been out of the league over the last three seasons. While he may not be a top-end starter, he is certainly good enough to be on a roster and help a squad at the game's most important position, especially when considering the various quarterbacks who have signed since he last played.

As the icy wall the league built between itself and the 32-year-old Kaepernick begins to thaw, tryout opportunities should be forthcoming.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the feeling around the league is that "there is far, far more interest" in Kaepernick now than there has been since he became a free agent in March 2017. "The interest in potentially signing him to be a backup, to compete for a backup job is very real," Rapoport added.

Nearly four years after Kaepernick first took a knee to protest police brutality and systematic racism, the NFL, through commissioner Roger Goodell, acknowledged it was wrong in how it handled its response to the quarterback's protest.

Goodell said in an interview with ESPN on Monday, on the matter of a team signing the six-year veteran, that he "support[s] a club making that decision and encourage[s] them to do that."

Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said Wednesday that Kaepernick is an option for his squad.

"It would be something I think any team would have to explore with a talent of that caliber that is available under these circumstances," Lynn said, per the Associated Press' Joe Reedy. "I know he has a high IQ at the position. It comes down to physical shape and his ability to do what he does. You can figure out real quick where he is in his career after an intense workout."

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

The Chargers are relatively set at quarterback with the 30-year-old Tyrod Taylor serving as the bridge to 2020 sixth overall pick Justin Herbert and 2019 fifth-round pick Easton Stick as a developmental option.

Eventually, Herbert will take over as the starter, and the franchise will be laid at his feet. But Los Angeles doesn't seem prepared to hand him the keys to the kingdom yet.

"Thank goodness I have some time on task with Tyrod Taylor, because he understands the offense," Lynn said. "I feel very comfortable with that. We're going to have to be very efficient when we get back together."

The coronavirus pandemic certainly played a factor in the reliance on the 10th-year veteran since the NFL plans to conduct the season without any on-field preparation prior to the start of training camp. Taylor's relationship with Lynn dates back to their two years together with the Buffalo Bills; Lynn was the offensive coordinator in 2016.

"I'm very confident and happy with the three quarterbacks that I have, but you can never have too many people waiting on the runway," Lynn said.

Kaepernick is an option because of his skill set, and Lynn is the right coach for him.

During his last season with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick led the NFL with an average of 9.1 yards per scramble and finished fourth with a five-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio when under pressure, per Pro Football Focus.

On a personal level, Lynn understands Kaepernick's message. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times' LZ Granderson published June 2, Lynn said he wanted to do something more than make a public statement about racial injustice:

"I want to do something too. I don't want to just put [a statement] out there because it's the right thing to do. I want change ... so I guess it starts with having this conversation and talking things out. In 1992 I remember watching L.A. burn and here we are in 2020 and I'm watching it again and it just hit me, nothing has changed.

"I haven't done anything to make this a better place for my son. I remember having the talk with him when he was 16 about how to handle police and then at age 30 I called him up and just had the talk with him again because I'm so scared. I want to do something but to be honest with you, I don't know what that is."

Signing Kaepernick would send a message, but he's also an ideal on-field match for the Chargers. Lynn even said, "He fits the style of quarterback that we want," per Reedy.

The NFL product has changed in the last decade. Professional football used to dictate the approach at lower levels. That's no longer the case. Instead, college and even high school programs influence those at the highest level, especially on offense.

"If you just study high school football, you know the direction of the National Football League down the road," Lynn told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. "All those quarterbacks are athletes now, and they pass year-round in these seven-on-seven camps. So, now you have athletes that are really good passers, and you can do so many things with that."

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Kaepernick was at the forefront of that evolution as one of the first professional quarterbacks in a system built to utilize his athleticism via the zone read. Taylor became another. And it led to what the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson did last season when he set an NFL record for quarterbacks with 1,206 rushing yards while leading the most prolific ground attack in league history.

Who is the Ravens' offensive coordinator? Greg Roman, who was the 49ers' play-caller during Kaepernick's most successful seasons.

Kaepernick paved the way for the Ravens' scheme and others after running the pistol for the Nevada Wolf Pack under Chris Ault's supervision before Jim Harbaugh and the Niners drafted him in the second round in 2011.

And now the Chargers have a similar offense and three mobile quarterbacks. The 6'6", 236-pound Herbert is the slowest after running a 4.68-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Kaepernick ran a 4.53 40.

Lynn will utilize zone reads and bootleg action and move the pocket. This will benefit everyone in the quarterback room.

Other factors should be in consideration as well.

The Chargers will play second fiddle in their new multibillion-dollar home, SoFi Stadium. The Los Angeles Rams are only 16 months removed from a Super Bowl appearance and feature well-known players such as Aaron Donald, Jared Goff and Jalen Ramsey. The Chargers have plenty of talent—including Keenan Allen, Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram III—but they haven't experienced much success in recent years.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Stick may be a quality player, but the organization clearly has its future face in Herbert. Adding a quarterback who played in a Super Bowl and is an ideal system fit to increase the talent in the quarterback room would be smart business.

This is where Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll's rationale falls apart. Carroll was asked last week why his team didn't previously sign Kaepernick and said he didn't think Kaepernick was a fit and that Kaepernick should be a starter. Was Carroll really saying Kaepernick was too good to add?

The Seahawks didn't sign him, but the Chargers should.

Furthermore, Los Angeles would likely experience an influx of new fans and interest just for doing the right thing.

There's no reason Kaepernick shouldn't be a strong option for the Chargers roster.

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.