Kaep Given Longshot Odds To Return To An NFL Roster

• Kaepernick has -850 odds to not be on a roster by week 1 of the 2021 season.
• The teams most likely to pick him up are the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens or Houston Texans

LAS VEGAS - Colin Kaepernick is still eligible for an NFL roster spot, and there are plenty of teams in need of quarterback help, especially at the backup position.

Kaepernick, who has been out of the league for years now, might not be the optimal piece to help them, but the sportsbooks do have odds on whether or not he’ll be back in the league, and which team he would be with if so.

Colin Kaepernick Odds To Be Signed

The problem that NFL teams face when examining whether or not they’d want to bring Kaepernick in is twofold.

First, his lack of NFL playing time in the last five years could mean that he’s not the same player that he was when his exile from the league began in the first place.

Second, even if he is the same player, while he was undeniably better than most if not all backup QBs in the league, there’s a question of whether an NFL team would be too scared of potential backlash to want to bring him in to solve the backup QB position.

These factors are the factors that are legitimate reasons - on the up and up, so to speak.

This is to say nothing of the elephant in the room - the accusation that NFL teams are racially biased, especially at the QB position.

Combining these factors paints a grim picture of the ability of Kaepernick to make an NFL return.

The online sportsbooks seem to agree with this grim assessment.

Where Will Colin Kaepernick Play For Game 1 Of The 2021 Regular Season?

• Not On Any NFL Teams Roster For Game 1 -850
• Seattle Seahawks +700
• Baltimore Ravens +950
• Houston Texans +950
• Kansas City Chiefs +1400
• Jacksonville Jaguars +1500
• Philadelphia Eagles +1400

The teams that are on the board here might seem at first glance to have been chosen randomly, but there’s a lot of logic behind why each of the favorites is there.

The Seattle Seahawks are looking likely to lose Russell Wilson in the offseason, and with no serious prospects to replace him, Kaep could be a solid fill-in , or a solid backup to whoever fills in.

The Baltimore Ravens could use Kaep as a backup to Lamar Jackson, owing to their fairly similar playing styles.

This is beneficial to the Ravens, as it means that they’d have a backup QB who is suited to run their offensive playbook, a unique advantage in the NFL should Lamar get hurt.

The Houston Texans are looking like they might be without a QB going into the 2021 season as well, as DeShaun Watson has requested a trade.

The Kansas City Chiefs had to rely on Chad Henne in the playoffs when Mahomes was injured, and one suspects that Kaep might be an improvement in their quest for another Super Bowl ring.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will likely be rolling out Trevor Lawrence, but a veteran QB with playoff experience could be a useful tool for them, and Kaep does have that.

The Philadelphia Eagles could use Kaep in a similar role as the Ravens - as a backup to a starting QB with a similar skillset so that they don’t have to change up the playbook in case of injury.

However, the most likely outcome is that Kaep will not be on any team’s roster for game 1 of the 2021 NFL season.

With -850 odds, it might be a solid wager, as many of the factors detailed above for why Kaep would be a good idea to bring in for various teams have been true in the past, with no results.

NFL betting enthusiasts should be familiar with the potential upside Kaep represents, and familiar with the fact that he has not gotten a job in spite of it.

It seems likely that this trend continues as teams have more and more reasons (his age, his time out of the league) to explain why they’re not giving him a shot now.