The Baltimore Ravens are interested in signing controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick while starting signal-caller Joe Flacco recovers from a disc issue in his back that has been bothering him for weeks. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider, the Ravens discovered Flacco’s back problem yesterday during the start of training camp. Head coach John Harbaugh said the back issue has been bothering Flacco for almost two weeks now.
Harbaugh said a specialist recommended a week of rest for Flacco as a precautionary move. The Ravens are hoping that Flacco will be fine and will return to training camp after resting his back.
Aside from Flacco, the Ravens have two other quarterbacks on their roster – backup Ryan Mallett and Dustin Vaughan. While Flacco may return in a week, the Ravens will take all the necessary measures to prevent his back issue from happening again.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Flacco is preparing to miss three to six weeks but he is expected to return to the field before the Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Since he became the Ravens starter in 2008, Flacco hasn’t missed a regular season opener.
Kaepernick a good insurance for Ravens
Bringing in Kaepernick makes plenty of sense for the Ravens so they won’t be caught flat-footed in case Flacco’s injury is serious. Also, the Ravens need extra bodies as they used assistant coaches to stand in as quarterbacks during running drills in training camp.
Kaepernick played for John’s brother, Jim, with the San Francisco 49ers. John also had a chance to face Kaepernick during Super Bowl XVLII. According to John, he got a chance to know Kaepernick well through his brother and he had a chance to talk several times recently over the phone about history and politics. “He's a really good football player and like I said, I do believe he'll be playing in the National Football League this year,” said John.
Teams turned off by Kaepernick’s protest?
Kaepernick hasn’t attracted any solid interest during the free-agent period after he opted out of his contract with the 49ers due his decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 as part of his protest against social injustices in the country. The 29-year-old Kaepernick started 11 games for the 49ers last season, throwing for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also rushed for 468 yards two touchdowns. Aside from being a capable backup, Kaepernick could step up as a starter in case Flacco doesn’t return in time for the regular season.
