Baltimore Ravens may sign Colin Kaepernick following Joe Flacco injury
Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh reportedly has been in discussion with free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick throughout the offseason about joining the Ravens football team.
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun, free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in talks with Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh throughout the summer about joining the team.
The Baltimore Ravens news comes a day after the shocking development of starting quarterback Joe Flacco‘s back injury that may sideline him anywhere from 3-6 weeks. Behind Flacco on the Ravens depth chart is former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett.
Kaepernick already has a connection with the Harbaugh family as John’s brother Jim Harbaugh and the San Francisco 49ers drafted Kaepernick out of Nevada with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
The next season in 2012, Kaepernick and Harbaugh teamed up to lead the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII against the Ravens led by John Harbaugh.
The Ravens head coach had this to say about the possibility of Kaepernick joining the Ravens, per National Insider for NFL Network Ian Rapoport:
Here is the full quote from #Ravens coach John Harbaugh on QB Colin Kaepernick pic.twitter.com/uF3EAxaFdR
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 27, 2017
Kaepernick is coming off somewhat of a bounce-back season in 2016 as he threw for 2,241 yards, rushed for 468 yards and reached the end zone 16 times. However, after an impressive 28-0 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the season opener, Kaepernick and the 49ers did not win again until Week 16, against the same Rams.
Until the Ravens sign another quarterback, the team will move forward with Mallet. The other remaining quarterback on the Ravens roster is 26-year-old Dustin Vaughan, who has not played in an NFL regular season game.
Next: Ravens QB Joe Flacco's timetable to return
If Flacco does miss significant time, Kaepernick would be a substantial upgrade and would help kick start the Ravens season. Other quarterbacks in the free agent market include former 2012 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Robert Griffin, veteran Shaun Hill, and 2011 first-round draft pick Christian Ponder to name a few.