Kaepernick stays with 49ers

March 31, 2016

Deadline passes; Kaepernick still a 49er; trade watch continues … Today’s 4 PM ET deadline passed for San Francisco to release QB Colin Kaepernick and he’s still with the 49ers meaning that his 2016 salary of $11.9 is now guaranteed. The 49ers are believed to have hoped to trade Kaepernick before today’s deadline, but got no takers just in case they were in fact going to release him. However, its believed that there are several teams, including Denver and the New York Jets, that would be interested in some kind of deal for Kaepernick, although they are likely to want some kind of restructured contract before proceeding. This is the kind of thing that could go right down to the draft. The 49ers have said publicly that they would be happy having Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert compete for the job this fall; Kaepernick is also thought to be a good fit for Chip Kelly’s wide-open offense, although he did not play at all well last fall and is coming off a number of injuries. The 49ers, though, are also looking at QBs with the 7th pick at this year’s draft and recently worked out Jared Goff down the road at Cal. Indeed, most draft projections have the 49ers taking Goff at that spot, but it remains a complicated story. In fcat, if it does not look like a deal is possible, just maybe the 49ers stick with what they’ve got at QB and see if Kelly can work some magic with Kaepernick, while using the 7th pick to fill one of a number of other major needs. Stay tuned.