Colin Kaepernick Not in Denver Broncos’ Plans, Insists One Former NFL Player

Injuries took their toll in Week 2 of the NFL with several big names going down with significant injuries. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and San Francisco 49ers rusher Nick Bosa both went down with season-ending ACL injuries. Denver Broncos’ list, insists one former NFL player.

Week 2 was brutal on the injury front

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While Many teams were affected by injuries in Week 2, it seems the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos were hit the hardest. The Niners lost their best rusher, Nick Bosa, for the season with an ACL injury and also lost quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (ankle) and running back Raheem Mostert (sprained MCL).

Denver saw quarterback Drew Lock go down with a shoulder injury, and also had its top wide receiver Cortland Sutton tear his ACL to put him out for the season. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley also is lost for the season with a torn ACL.

Other key injuries suffered during Week 2 were a high ankle sprain suffered by Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, who is likely to be out a few weeks. Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers also left the game for good Sunday with a hamstring injury. Safety Malik Hooker of the Indianapolis Colts tore his Achilles against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Colin Kaepernick’s name will likely pop up

With injuries to quarterbacks come speculation about Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, will always be linked to teams who have lost their starting quarterback. Kaepernick hasn’t played a down in the NFL after the 2016 season. In 2016, Kaepernick began protesting social injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem.

Kaepernick has always said he wanted to make a return to the NFL. He’s 32 years old and has shown he can lead a team through the playoffs. During the 2012 season, Kaepernick filled in for an injured Alex Smith and went 7-2 during the rest of the regular season as a starter. He led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

The following season, Kaepernick took over as the full-time starter for the Niners. He started all 16 games and went 12-4 as a starter. The three years after that, however, he never had a winning season. He went 11-24 during that stretch. He hasn’t been on an NFL roster since the 2017 season.

One longtime NFL player says the Broncos won’t look at Kaepernick

Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Stokley knows a little bit about football. He played 15 years in the NFL for five different teams. He played five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and then four each with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. Stokley also played a year each with the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants.

Stokley, who is a co-host of radio station 104.3 The Fan in Denver, said there is no way the Broncos will take a look at Colin Kaepernick to replace the injured Drew Lock. “No chance John (Elway) tries to sign Kaepernick,” Stokley wrote on Twitter. “He met with him and already tried that. Plus the guy hasn’t played in years. If you think he’s going to come in and help the Broncos win, you’re delusional. He was below average the last time he played anyway.”

Stokley went on to say that Kaepernick has been out of the league for too long and his play was declining in the final years in the NFL. When someone tried to convince Stokley that Kaepernick would be a good move for Denver, Stokley wrote, “Seriously do I really have to say it again? How long ago was that? I believe I was still playing then. What was his PLAY like his last couple years? End of story!!”

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference.