TEMPE, Ariz. -- It was inevitable that the question would come up this week after Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer broke his left arm in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Would the Cardinals look at signing Colin Kaepernick?

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who led the Niners to two straight NFC Championship Games in 2011 and 2012 and to Super Bowl XLVII, has been a free agent since he opted out of his contract on March 2.

He believes NFL owners have colluded to keep him out of the league for his decision to kneel during the national anthem last season as a way to protest oppression and racial injustice. Kaepernick filed a collusion grievance with the National Football League Players Association on Oct. 16, making his claim official.

Colin Kaepernick would give the Cardinals another big-play rushing threat, but his passing style doesn't vibe with Bruce Arians' preferred offense. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Numerous teams who have needed a starting or backup quarterback -- or simply an upgrade behind center -- have passed on signing Kaepernick.

It looks like the Cardinals will be added to that list.

"We've never had more than two [QBs] on our roster since I've been here," coach Bruce Arians said Monday in response to a question about whether Arizona would bring in Kaepernick. "We liked Blaine Gabbert so much that we kept him this year. So we're really where we always are. We may look for a practice squad arm."

Besides the fact Arizona has had three QBs on its roster multiple times since Arians was hired in 2013 -- including this season with Palmer, Drew Stanton and Gabbert all on the 53-man roster -- there are reasons to add Kaepernick to their quarterback mix, as well as reasons they shouldn't.

Why the Cardinals should look at Kaepernick:

Arizona has seen, from a front-row seat, how dynamic Kaepernick can be as a quarterback. In seven meetings against Arizona dating back to 2012, he threw for 1,564 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions, averaging 7.7 yards per throw and completing 60.6 percent of his passes. He ran for 265 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries. He was 4-3 against Arizona.

But the ultimate question is whether Kaepernick would give Arizona a better chance at winning than either Stanton, who'll replace Palmer as the starter, or Gabbert?

It's an intriguing question because of Kaepernick's résumé, especially when he played under Jim Harbaugh and had a talented offense surrounding him, similar to the one awaiting him in Arizona. He has plenty of starting experience -- 58 games compared to Stanton's 13.

Kaepernick coming to Arizona would also reunite him with Gabbert. The two traded off the starting job in San Francisco last season. Gabbert began the season starting after Kaepernick dealt with injuries during training camp but Kaepernick replaced Gabbert in Week 6.

Kaepernick's ability to move the ball with his feet, although contrary to Arizona's scheme the past five years, could help the Cardinals as well.

Arizona quarterbacks have been pressured on 28.8 percent of snaps this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Putting a quarterback out there who can evade pressure on his own would not only reduce the responsibility of the offensive line but could also be an effective way of moving the ball. That aspect, after Sunday's 33-0 loss to the Rams in London, has been put into question yet again this season.

What you need to know in the NFL

• Statistics

• Scoreboard

• 2017 schedule, results

• Standings

Having Kaepernick behind center would also add a dual-threat QB to an already multi-faceted offense. His mobility and arm strength would complement running back Adrian Peterson's down-hill running style as well as Arizona's vertical passing game, forcing defenses to play even more honestly than they have the past two weeks since Peterson arrived.

A week after Peterson ran for 134 yards, part of a 160-yard rushing effort in total by Arizona, the Cards' ground game was slowed to a near halt by Los Angeles. It gained just 25 yards, including 21 by Peterson on 11 carries. Having Kaepernick behind center would give Arizona another option to spark the run game, stretching the defense and keeping the offense on the field longer -- which would be a major benefit for Arizona's defense.

Why the Cardinals shouldn't look at Kaepernick:

From a football standpoint, there's an obvious answer for why the Cardinals shouldn't look at Kaepernick: He's not a traditional dropback passer.

Just look at the quarterbacks Arians has worked with and tends to prefer: Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck and Palmer. They're all big-armed, traditional pocket passers that fit Arians' downfield, vertical-passing scheme. That's simply not Kaepernick's game. He’s completed 84 passes of 20 yards or longer in the air in his career. Palmer, under Arians, has completed 92 since 2013.

The Cardinals also don't call many quarterback runs, what would have to be a staple of any offense including Kaepernick.