San Francisco 49ers to keep Colin Kaepernick for 2016

After a rough 2015 season, the San Francisco 49ers have decided to retain quarterback Colin Kaepernick. 

On Wednesday, the San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke announced that the team would be retaining quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

After a rough season by Kaepernick, where he only saw action in nine games (he started eight of them), it was rumored that he would be leaving the 49ers this offseason. Additionally, Kaepernick’s contract gave the team even more reason to release the quarterback, well in excess of $100 million.

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If the 49ers had released Kaepernick before April 1, the the team would have been able to avoid paying the quarterback’s guaranteed $11.9 million salary. Paying a starting quarterback $11.9 million dollars is a fair value, but paying a player that is a backup that much money would have been ludicrous.

Kaepernick also underwent three surgeries this year. He has had doctors operate on his left shoulder, left knee, and right thumb. Kaepernick’s medical history this season could have been a red flag that would have at least allowed a front office to consider moving away from the injured quarterback.

Due to Colin Kaepernick’s salary it makes it hard to believe that he will actually compete with fellow 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert this offseason. Kaepernick is under contract through 2020, and has significantly more guaranteed money due to him than Gabbert.

Regardless of what is said by the 49ers, expect to see Kaepernick as the week one starter.