—Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned, despite the workout in front of representation from eight NFL teams.

—A mix of young and veteran quarterbacks could benefit from an established player in a supporting role.

—Detroit’s recent additions spark questions Kaepernick not being signed.

On Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions—a staple of the holiday—fell to the Chicago Bears for the team’s fifth loss in a row. Struggling with their veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford on the sidelines, the team just made a couple of moves to shore up the position. 

Those two are a far cry from the former NFC quarterback who led his team to the Super Bowl in only his second season as a professional—one that the organization just laid eyes on a couple of weeks ago.

After the much-discussed workout for Colin Kaepernick was moved from the Atlanta Falcons practice facility to a high school football field, only eight of the teams in town for the main event sent their representatives up the road to the new venue. Aside from Detroit, Washington, San Francisco, Tennessee, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Kansas City and the New York Jets watched the action unfurl as Kaepernick threw passes to a squad of unsigned wide receivers in front of a growing throng of supporters and media.

But despite the fact that he’s only six years removed from his lone Super Bowl appearance, the former 49er remains unsigned while others with fewer accolades find jobs—even among the teams that most recently caught him in action.

In the three weeks of games that have passed since Kaepernick’s showcase, the teams collectively have experienced some mixed results. For instance, the New York Jets, led by second-year starter Sam Darnold, won its prior two games—looking like an offensive juggernaut while doing so—before crashing down to earth against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. The defeat marked the second time this season the Jets were another team’s first win.

Darnold is undoubtedly the team’s quarterback right now—and for the future. However, having a veteran presence to bounce in-game situations off of on the sidelines could help with his development. 

Only four years older than the 22-year-old Darnold, Carson Wentz—the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles—appears to be in need of an extra push, as well. Picked second in the 2016 draft, Wentz has faced multiple health issues in his brief tenure. Mostly intact this year, he’s regressed to the point of being on the field for losses the past two weeks against Seattle and the Miami Dolphins.

Tennessee and Buffalo are both also led by relatively young quarterbacks right now in Ryan Tannehill and Josh Allen, respectively. Tannehill actually found a spot on the Titans’ roster this year as the former Dolphin was signed to push former No. 1 pick Marcos Mariota in a move that’s paying dividends.

And while the other teams that expressed some interest in Kaepernick by attending the workout are all set with their quarterbacks, there’s no discounting the simple insurance factor as they chase bigger goals. Had Kansas City signed the former Pro Bowler when its MVP signal caller Patrick Mahomes went down with an injury several weeks ago, perhaps the Chiefs would be in better position for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

San Francisco, Kaepernick’s former team, has seen its fate hinge on starter Jimmy Garoppolo’s health since he arrived on the team in 2017. Missing the bulk of last year, Garoppolo has bounced back to lead the Niners to double-digit wins, but their status among the league’s best could be jeopardized should he go down and the reins are handed to C.J. Beathard or Nick Mullens.

Unproven though those two may be, the fact remains that they’re still on an active roster. Could Kaepernick present a more enticing alternative for his former squad or one of the others above in a mentorship role for a young quarterback, like Washington’s Dwayne Haskins, or be pressed into duty if or when the time comes? 

Eight teams who’ve faced adversity on the quarterback front have seen what he has to offer to possibly ward off any more troubles in the future. 

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

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