By Matt Ferris
During the off-season, the Washington Redskins made the biggest splash in the NFL by acquiring Alex Smith in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Smith hadn’t really put up the best stats this year, but he never really does. What’s most important is wins, and that is exactly what he did for the Redskins this year.
He had Washington in a terrific place to make the playoffs and actually do some damage in the postseason, but tragedy struck in Week 11.
While playing the Washington Redskins, Smith was sacked and gruesomely snapped his leg, ending his 2018 season.
Colt McCoy, Smith’s backup, came into the game and played well, giving Redskins’ fans hope that their season was still salvageable.
But just last week against the Eagles, McCoy suffered a similar injury to Smith, as he also broke his leg, leaving the Redskins depleted at the quarterback position.
The Redskins turned to Mark Sanchez to finish the Eagles’ game, and he could not muster any offense, resulting in a loss for Washington.
Now at 6-6 and just a game behind the Cowboys for the division lead, the Redskins still have a very good chance to make the playoffs and contend for a Super Bowl title... but not with Mark Sanchez at the helm.
Which brings me to the question of, “Which quarterbacks are available in free agency?”
There is only one notable name still available in free agency: Colin Kaepernick.
After the Week 13 loss to the Eagles, Redskins’ Head Coach Jay Gruden came out and said the team was indeed looking at Kaepernick as an option but quickly said it was unlikely because of the timing.
He said, “There’s not a lot of time to get a brand-new QB and a system installed and taught.”
But this argument does not make a lot of sense because the team literally just brought in Sanchez a week prior to him getting snaps.
On top of this, you need another quarterback to bring in as at least the backup, and he will also have to learn a brand new system.
Kaepernick also wouldn’t have to learn a ton. The offense Gruden runs in Washington is quite similar to the system Jim Harbaugh ran in San Francisco when Kaepernick was the starter.
While some might say, “Kaepernick hasn’t played in a while,” or “He will be too rusty,” this is irrelevant because he has been training and preparing for an NFL comeback.
These arguments might have been better suited for Sanchez, who the Redskins chose to sign.
While Sanchez has been on NFL rosters, he hasn’t played in a game since 2016, which just happens to be the same year Kaepernick last played.
In fact, Kaepernick’s last touchdown pass in the NFL is more recent then Sanchez’s.
The move to neglect Kaepernick proves why the Washington Redskins haven’t won a playoff game in almost 13 years not to mention a Super Bowl in nearly 30.
But one thing is certain: Kaepernick is the best man for the job. He would be a huge improvement over Sanchez at quarterback and give the Redskins a chance to win a Super Bowl this season.
Washington should take a page out of Nike’s book and “Just Do It.”