Redskins considered Colin Kaepernick in latest quarterback search

If you thought the Redskins couldn’t top the quarterback drama of the Kirk Cousins era, think again.

It’s Week 14 now, and the Washington Redskins have one quarterback able to play. Alex Smith broke his fibula and tibia in a matchup against the Houston Texans, and last night, Colt McCoy was lost for what appears to be the season as well, fracturing his fibula.

The Redskins entered the season with two quarterbacks, and when Smith went down, they signed Mark Sanchez to be Colt McCoy’s backup. With McCoy out, Washington has to add someone. McCoy hasn’t been placed on injured reserve yet, and Gruden went as far as to say that he wouldn’t, but with only four games left, the prospects of McCoy’s 2018 Cinderella story playing out are not promising.

Thus, it’s time for the Redskins to find a quarterback, and per J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Mid-Atlantic, the team did, in fact, consider one of the more contentious options on the open market. The team has considered signing Colin Kaepernick.

Gruden later went on to say, however, that the team would, after discussion, likely go in a different direction, and bypass the signing of the former San Francisco 49ers star.

Kaepernick has been out of the league since 2016, presumably due to his polarizing kneel-down during the National Anthem in preseason two years ago. His camp has been actively pursuing a collusion suit against the NFL owners, alleging that Kaepernick has had work opportunities closed off to him, due to his activism on the national stage.

For the Redskins, signing Kaepernick would make sense, if they truly felt that this season was salvageable, and were willing to do anything to try and save it. The options in the free agent market are far from inspiring, which makes Kaepernick’s perception as the best option available a disorienting claim.

Yes, Kaepernick is the best option available, assuming he hasn’t accumulated too much rust over the past two years. But would the Redskins be willing to bring any amount or nature of immense national attention to themselves, after the Reuben Foster incident? Kaepernick’s signing is not remotely similar to that of Foster, but the Redskins have a habit of slipping into the national spotlight. Even when they have a chance to step into it, they may opt to lurk in the shadows instead.

So what does it mean if Kaepernick isn’t signed? It could mean that the team refuses to sign him because of his actions. It could mean that they simply don’t want the mass influx of attention. Or it could mean that, with all the injuries, Jay Gruden isn’t coaching for his job yet, and thus, the final four games don’t even matter. It’s hard to imagine which possibility might sting the most.