The Patriots have opened their season with Tom Brady at the helm and the reigning NFL MVP doesn't look like that proverbial cliff some have predicted he will tumble off is anywhere close. But that doesn't mean there won't be speculation on his successor - or at least a potential fill-in should something happen the game's most accomplished quarterback.

At this point the Patriots have just Brian Hoyer on the roster as a backup, but the classy veteran did not enjoy a productive preseason. That led to some concerns in Patriots Nation regarding the possibility of having to deal life without Brady in the event of an injury this season.

TMZ Sports recently posted an item suggesting that the Patriots might have interest in free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who hasn't played since 2016. Kaepernick's attorney, Mark Geragos, conducted an interview and in a roundabout way said New England could be in the picture.

While the rumor appeared to rather flimsy, it won't stop us from jumping in to speculate on it. This week's Samsonite Make Your Case question is: Should the Patriots sign Colin Kaepernick as a backup quarterback?

PFW's Andy Hart says …

Yes

To me this is a no-brainer, on one condition: As long as Colin Kaepernick is serious about wanting to continue his NFL career, why wouldn't the Patriots bring him in as a backup?

He certainly has more talent than many current NFL quarterbacks and he's shown the ability to lift a team to great heights. When he had strong coaching from Jim Harbaugh, he was a highly successful quarterback. Now he would get to learn under the tutelage of Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, and I would expect him to be more than competitive with that kind of guidance.

Kaepernick is a different kind of quarterback from what the Patriots have had, but it's clear in watching the subtle differences of how they used Jimmy Garoppolo and even Danny Etling this summer that the coaching staff is not opposed to using different styles to augment different skill sets. Kaepernick is a dynamic athlete who could be successful with some refinement.

I say let's bring him in and work with him now while Brady is still in place. There's no urgency to get him ready and he can develop to the point where if the time comes when a replacement is needed maybe Kaepernick will be an option. And in the meantime he'll give the defense great looks on the scout team as they prepare for the mobile quarterbacks that have caused problems in the past. Just do it … see what I did there.

--AH

PFW's Paul Perillo says …

No

The last time we saw Colin Kaepernick play in an NFL game it wasn't pretty. He led the Niners to a 1-10 record as a starter in 2016 - the same team more or less that Jimmy Garoppolo won five straight starts with to close last season.

When Kaepernick burst on the scene back in 2012 he was lights out. His ability to stress the defense as a dual-threat quarterback was perhaps unmatched in the league. He took the Niners to the Super Bowl and followed that with a 12-4 record the following year. Then opposing defenses caught up to him, learned how to defend him and then watched him go 11-24 over the next three years.

There's no doubt that Kaepernick has terrific physical skills but I feel he lacks the accuracy as a passer needed to succeed in the Patriots system. When defenses keep him in the pocket he becomes much easier to deal with, and I'd rather wait to find a suitable quarterback to develop behind Tom Brady and continue watching the greatest of all time do his thing without any unnecessary distractions.

--PP

Now it's your turn to cast a vote in this week's Samsonite Make Your Case poll question.