Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu has spent his entire career playing in the same division as Colin Kaepernick, and he’s seen both the good and the bad.
Mathieu said on PFT Live that Kaepernick wasn’t as tough to beat in 2015 and 2016 as he had been in 2013 and 2014.
“I’ve had the chance to play against Kaepernick the last four seasons. The first couple years he was a winning quarterback. He did a lot of good things for his team. The last couple years, obviously, it felt like he took a step back as far as game-planning against him,” Mathieu said.
At the same time, Mathieu said, a smart coach should be able to find a way to get Kaepernick playing like he did early in his career.
“I’m rooting for him and I hope somebody gives him a call, somebody gives him a shot. He’s a hell of an athlete. He definitely can play quarterback in this league and if he plays in the right system I’m pretty sure he can take any team to the Super Bowl,” Mathieu said.
It’s looking increasingly unlikely that any team is going to give Kaepernick the chance to prove he can take another team to the Super Bowl.