Could the 49ers cut Colin Kaepernick after 2015 season?

Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi
Dec 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) celebrates after rushing for a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi /
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The San Francisco 49ers will be assessing Colin Kaepernick’s future with the team in 2015 to determine if he even has one. 


The rise and fall of Colin Kaepernick is one of the most interesting stories in recent NFL history. He rose to stardom out of nowhere under the leadership of Jim Harbaugh but things have plateaued for young quarterback and now his future with the 49ers is being called into question.

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According to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t actively pursuing cutting Colin Kaepernick, but it’s a move that needs to begin to be considered as the struggles continue and the new era forges on.

The fact of the matter is, 2015 is not the year the 49ers are going to part ways with Kaepernick, but it’s a year in which he needs to prove himself or he could be out. Kawakawi notes that the seven-year contract that Kaepernick has is nothing more than seven one-year deals and his cap figure is on the rise.

In addition to his growing cap hit, the new coaching staff has absolutely no investment or personal attachment to Kaepernick the way that Jim Harbaugh did. Should Kaepernick struggle in 2015, then his cap figure is hardly justifiable and the Niners — thanks to the year-to-year structure of his contract — can cut him and not be heavily penalized.

Of course, this is assuming the Niners find a quarterback with more upside than Kaepernick has, as he’s one of the brightest young stars in the game despite his struggles. Still, there is nothing tethering this new regime to Kaepernick and if it’s their job or his, you don’t have to think hard about who is going to be pushed onto the sword.

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