Come March, Colin Kaepernick will take his first step towards leaving the 49ers.
San Francisco’s quarterback will be opting out of his contract this offseason to test the free agent market, according to a report by Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen Friday morning.
Kap’s decision to opt out has been expected since October, when the QB and front office restructured his deal, allowing either side to cut ties on the $14.5 million due to him in 2017. Kaepernick cannot officially opt out until March 2-7, according to the San Jose Mercury News. Players can begin signing elsewhere on March 9.
The 49ers went 1-10 with Kaepernick as their staring quarterback in 2016. Despite the abysmal record, Kap put up his best numbers since the Harbaugh-era, completing 59.2-percent of his passes for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, while posting an impressive QB rating of 90.7, even if he didn’t always pass the eye test.
It would appear that the 49ers’ hiring of new GM John Lynch and the soon-to-be hiring of presumptive head coach Kyle Shanahan, have not swayed Kaepernick to want to stay with the organization at this point. Many have speculated that Shanahan would be open to brining Kaepernick back in a reserve role next season, if he was open to the idea.
With Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder both slated to be free agents, the 49ers are on pace to be without a quarterback on their roster come March.