If one sports-betting outlet is to be believed, Colin Kapernick’s long-rumored return to professional football could commence in Western New York.
BettingOnline.ag has given the Buffalo Bills 7-1 odds to sign the 32-year-old quarterback, the fourth-highest odds amongst all NFL teams.
The Cincinnati Bengals, who recently benched Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley, have the league’s highest odds at 7-2. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are the only remaining teams who top Buffalo on the list.
The odds were released after the NFL announced a weekend workout for the former San Francisco 49er, giving Kaepernick, who has not taken a snap in a professional football game since the 2016 season, an opportunity to impress scouts in attendance. According to ESPN, over 24 teams are expected to send scouts to Saturday’s workout.
Kaepernick’s controversial absence from the NFL has been well documented. The veteran kneeled during the singing of the national anthem throughout the 2016 season, his way of protesting racial inequality in the United States. His decision sparked a national debate, prompting the NFL to approve a new national anthem policy in the 2018 offseason.
Kaepernick went unsigned following his protest, ultimately causing the quarterback to file a grievance against the NFL for what he felt was ‘collusion.’ The grievance was settled in February 2019.
Still a free agent, Kaepernick will have the opportunity to play himself onto a roster with a strong performance at his workout this weekend. Once one of the NFL’s most electric players, Kaepernick’s talent level is undeniable. In a league in which teams employ at least two signal-callers, it’s hard to argue that there are 64 professional quarterbacks more talented than Kaepernick.
That being said, Kaepernick has been removed from the game for three years. Now older and lacking recent in-game experience, how Kaepernick would perform in NFL action remains to be seen.
Though the Bills have been given strong odds to sign the former NFC Championship-winning quarterback, a Buffalo-Kaepernick marriage does not seem likely.
With Josh Allen and Matt Barkley on their roster, the Bills are set under center. Though offensive coordinator Brian Daboll could likely make something out of Kaepernick’s athleticism, a return to the NFL as a third-string quarterback and gadget player would likely be far from appealing for the veteran.
Buffalo fans, as a whole, are mixed regarding their opinions on Kaepernick, as well. Though some feel as though he’s a talented player who could improve the team’s struggling offense, others are vehemently against the idea given his past. Kaepernick has previously stated that it was “very evident” that Buffalo fans were against his protest.
Kaepernick would undoubtedly improve some of the quarterback rooms around the NFL. The Bills, however, do not possess one of those rooms. Kaepernick would not be an upgrade over Allen or Barkley, and thus, it’s difficult to imagine the team bringing him in, regardless of betting odds.
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