Coach Pete Carroll told "Brock and Salk" on Monday that the Seahawks are "looking at everybody" as they explore the free-agent market for a veteran quarterback to back up Russell Wilson. That includes Colin Kaepernick.
“We’re always looking. We’re always looking at whatever, whatever’s available,” Carroll said when asked if Seattle is in the market for a backup quarterback, a job held last season by undrafted rookie Trevone Boykin. “We’re looking to keep it competitive there, too. Trevone did a nice job for us last year, but we’re still looking as we always will.”
Carroll was then asked specifically if Seattle would consider Kaepernick or Robert Griffin III. He answered in the affirmative.
“We’re looking at everybody really. We are. We really are,” Carroll said. “We’ve been tracking everything that’s going on. We have cap and roster issues and stuff like that that we’re still trying to make sure that we manage properly, but quite frankly, yes, we are looking at all those guys.”
While "we're looking at everybody" sounds similar to the standard response Carroll often gives to questions about potential personnel moves, Kaepernick in particular seems like a real possibility. Peter King's latest column on MMQB.com made the case for the Seahawks to sign Kaepernick, mentioning several reasons why Seattle would make sense. I don't think King would write that unless he felt like it could happen.
Kaepernick, 29, has remained unemployed despite a career resume that’s much better than several quarterbacks who have been signed this offseason. That has led to the belief among many that teams have been shying away from Kaepernick more because of his decision to not stand for the national anthem last season than his decline in play over the last few years.
Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, for one, told ESPN that he thinks Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL teams.
Kaepernick, 29, lost his starting job with the 49ers midway through the 2015 season and reclaimed it in October of last year. In 11 starts, he completed 59.2 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 90.7 rating. He was 17 of 22 for 215 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Seahawks in Week 17 (he didn’t start in the first meeting).
Kaepernick opted out of his contract in March.
Boykin is the only backup quarterback on Seattle’s roster that has attempted a pass in a regular-season game. The results were mixed during his limited playing time in 2016, which included some relief work after Wilson left a game in Week 3 when he sprained his MCL. In five appearances, Boykin was 13 of 18 for 145 yards, a touchdown and an interception plus a fumble.
Boykin was arrested earlier this offseason on misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and public intoxication after a car crash in Dallas. He was arrested again over a possible probation violation in connection with that incident.
Local product Jake Heaps is the other quarterback on Seattle’s roster. Skyler Howard and Michael Birdsong took part in the team’s rookie minicamp as tryout players.
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