The preseason is over and so are any hot takes that the 49ers are going to cut Colin Kaepernick.
Kap proved he belongs on this football team Thursday night against the Chargers, and unless GM Trent Baalke has some vendetta against against the 28-year-old, Chip Kelly will get his wish to keep No. 7.
With some preposterously suggesting his NFL career was on the line, Kap finally got the chance to get into a rhythm at Qualcomm Stadium — his first extended playing time since Nov. 1 of 2015. He’s not a frontline NFL starter anymore, but 11-for-18 with 138 total yards, two touchdown drives and a couple of nice throws shows Kelly he has a serviceable backup quarterback to work with at the very least.
Throwing away Kaepernick’s $11.5 million salary because you don’t appreciate the distraction of his political beliefs is not a good enough reason to release him. It’s foolish and stubborn and the 49ers fans that have a problem with Kap need to understand the dire quarterback situation this franchise is in. Two quarterbacks are absolutely necessary for survival in 2016 in the NFL. Kaepernick is no more washed up than Blaine Gabbert and has earned the right to warm up in the bullpen for the minute Gabbert implodes.
And Kaepernick’s Star-Spangled Banner protest now becomes less of a distraction, with teammate Eric Reid and Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane both joining the movement. More players will follow suit come Week 1 and, over time, the media attention will quiet down as will Kaepernick. His postgame presser in San Diego was a thing to marvel at. He preached his convictions, trying his best to be understanding, not controversial.
He’s not that arrogant guy who roamed around the 49ers facility aloof of his actions for years. He’s talkative with teammates and the media, playful with team employees. He’s changed as a person.
This is a new Kaepernick. This is a new man. Someone who is having fun playing the quarterback position, too. He looks liberated on the field and it’s worth waiting to see if he can change as a QB. Kelly feels that way and 49ers fans should, too.
Then there’s this little nugget from SB Nation’s Jennifer Lee Chan. There are 49ers players who believe this has united the locker room in Santa Clara. Here’s tight end Vince McDonald, via Chan:
“At the end of the day, honestly it probably brought us closer together as a team, as crazy as that sounds, but that’s just the way we feel as a team, that it makes sense to us.
“This was just an opportunity to feel him opening up about a specific subject. If you just showed up everyday and you did nothing but football and talked about nothing but football, you don’t know about anyone’s personal life or story? It’s almost kind of fake and superficial.”
So it’s Kap and the 49ers against the world. Well, Let’s pump the brakes on any feel-good Angels In The Outfield story this might be. Let’s be realistic. The playoffs would be miraculous — Kelly would win coach of the year. So is a .500 record. There’s one talented receiver on the roster, not many pass rushers and probably just one Pro Bowler in NaVorro Bowman. Baalke’s job is on the line if young players like Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner don’t make waves on defense. There’s a chance Gabbert starts Week 1, gets benched and starts again if Kaepernick doesn’t look any better.
Chip Kelly can’t possibly name Kap the starter, could he? No, not for Week 1. But as Kaepernick continues to get comfortable with the offense and his Vegan-transformed physique, you can tell there is still talent there. All of Kelly’s words since January have made it abundantly clear he’d like to help remold Kap 2.0, which means we have no idea of his true potential.
Kaepernick is essentially playing with a one-year, $11.5 million deal. There is no long term commitment from the 49ers by not cutting him. Nobody is saying he’s a franchise quarterback anymore. But in our knee-jerk reaction society, people wanted to write off Kaepernick, wanted to bury him as another burnout QB.
Sorry, that’s just not the case. Not yet. He’s deserving of one last chance in San Francisco. He was competent with a strong coach in Jim Harbaugh. You can’t automatically write him off under Kelly.