Colin Kaepernick odds: With Broncos preferring Blake Bortles, likely no team will sign Kaepernick in 2020 NFL season

The San Francisco 49ers may have to start former undrafted free agent Nick Mullens at quarterback this Sunday due to an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. The Denver Broncos will start journeyman Jeff Driskel under center in Week 3 and just signed former first-round mega-bust Blake Bortles with Drew Lock out 2-6 weeks. That the Broncos, especially, showed no interest in signing much more accomplished free-agent QB Colin Kaepernick over Bortles likely signals that Kaepernick will not get an NFL shot in 2020 – if ever again.

Bortles, 28, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft by Jacksonville with a career regular-season record as a starter of 24-49. He has completed just 59.3 percent of his passes with 75 picks and a rating of 80.6. Bortles spent last year as Jared Goff's backup with the Rams.

Kaepernick, 32, led the 49ers to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season (a close lose to Baltimore) and holds the NFL record for most rushing yards by a QB in a regular-season game (181). He is 28-30 in his career as a starter – somewhat skewed by a 1-10 mark in 2016 for an awful Niners team in the lone year Chip Kelly was coach – who has completed 59.8 percent of his passes with only 30 picks and a rating of 88.9. Obviously, Kaepernick brings a running element that many QBs (and certainly not Bortles) don't.

Of course, Kaepernick has been essentially blackballed by NFL owners for his kneeling during the national anthem in the 2016 season. After winning Super Bowl 50 and watching Peyton Manning retire, Broncos GM John Elway tried to trade for Kaepernick. However, the 49ers did not to pay part of Kaepernick's salary in exchange for a draft pick and Kaepernick didn't want to accept a pay cut to facilitate the deal.

In training camp during 2018 when the Broncos had major QB questions (again), Elway said this during a press conference regarding the potential trade two years prior and possibly adding Kaepernick to the mix in '18: "Colin had his chance to be here. We offered him a contract. He didn't take it."

The Broncos were going to scout Kaepernick's workout in Atlanta in November 2019, but when Kaepernick's camp abruptly changed locations to a high school about an hour away, the Broncos like most teams didn't bother.

In what world is Kaepernick not a better option behind Driskel than Bortles? The Broncos will promote Brett Rypien from the practice squad, and he will serve as the No. 2 this week vs. the Bucs as Bortles will have to pass numerous COVID-19 tests. Denver is a 6-point underdog.

Perhaps Elway simply didn't want all the publicity/distractions that would come with adding Kaepernick. His 0-2 team already is a mess with the losses of top pass-rusher Von Miller and No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton for the year and Lock out until perhaps midseason. A few other guys also are out.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will any NFL team sign Colin Kaepernick before the end of the 2020 season?

• No -800
• Yes +650

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