Should the Texans pursue a trade for QB Colin Kaepernick?

With news breaking that quarterback Colin Kaepernick wants to be traded, the Houston Texans should see what it would take to acquire his services

Until the Houston Texans get themselves a franchise quarterback, there will be cries for any player that comes available that has shown they can get it done at the NFL level. The latest rumor of such a quarterback involves current San Francisco 49ers signal caller Colin Kaepernick.

Multiple reports are coming out that Kaepernick is not on board with a return to the franchise that benched him in 2015, and his agents are seeking permission to find a trade partner.

Kaepernick’s story is interesting as he rose to fame practically overnight when he replaced the injured Alex Smith for his former coach Jim Harbaugh. The Nevada product caught the attention of the football world with his strong arm and great running ability.

In 2013 the 49ers were led to the Super Bowl by their second-year player. That playoff ride included a masterful performance where Kaepernick ran for 181-yards against the Green Bay Packers. He torched those same Packers for 412-yards to open the following season as he showcased his dual-threat skills once again.

Now just a couple seasons removed from the fame, the 28-year old finds himself coming off an injury shortened season and possibly in a quarterback competition with former first-round flameout, Blaine Gabbert.

With news coming out that the 6-foot-4, 230 pound quarterback wants a fresh start, should the Houston Texans see what it would take to get him?

It’s a tough sell because Kaepernick is coming off a rough season, but that may not be all on him. The 49ers were a team in turmoil after losing their head coach, Jim Harbaugh. They also had a mass exodus as several players retired early without much warning.

To make matters worse, the guy steering the ship, first year head coach Jim Tomsula, wasn’t even invited back after his rookie season as the team relieved him of his duties promptly following the end of the football year.

Making it a tougher sell is the fact that Houston has gone from one veteran to another, with such minimal success that the team has basically said they are washing their hands of retread players at the position.

Still, it’s worth a look for two reasons. The first reason being that Kaepernick is a superior talent to anyone the Texans are projected to land at the 22nd overall pick. With players like Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Paxton Lynch expected to be selected quickly, the next best options are Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg. Neither of those players scream franchise quarterback.

The second reason is that despite his flaws, Kaepernick would be the best quarterback to ever wear a Texans uniform. For his career he has thrown for 10,030 yards with 56 touchdowns and only 26 interceptions while completing 59.9 percent of his throws. He’s added another 1,832 yards on the ground with 11 more scores.

Just by walking on the field he would make the offense better and working with a great quarterback mentor like Texans head coach Bill O’Brien would bring the absolute best out of the once promising player.

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Sure the Houston Texans may not want to dip into the veteran quarterback market, but it isn’t every day that a 28-year old player just a few years removed from a Super Bowl berth says they want to be traded. It would be wise to at the very least see what the 49ers expect in return.