49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is reportedly playing his last season in San Francisco, as it is "virtually certain" that he will not be back with the team in 2016, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.
The 49ers will start Blaine Gabbert over Kaepernick against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. It's hard to believe that it has only been three years since Kaepernick and the 49ers were in the Super Bowl, but this team is completely different now. They have a different head coach in Jim Tomsula and have lost star players in Patrick Willis and Justin Smith.
Kaepernick is upset over the benching and publicly disagreed with his coaches' assessments of him. When asked if he agreed with Tomsula's statement that he needed to "step back and breathe," Kaepernick responded, "I'm not out of breath, so I don't understand that reference," via ESPN.
Offensive coordinator Geep Chryst reportedly said Kaepernick has been playing cautiously since a four-interception game against Arizona. "I don't believe that's accurate," responded Kaepernick, via ESPN. "Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays, so that's just a matter of opinion."
Kaepernick reportedly has not asked for a trade, but the team was reportedly been open to a trade before the deadline this past Tuesday, according to La Canfora. Kaepernick is under contact until 2020 and is expected to make upwards of $15 million in 2016. Kaepernick has a 59.3 completion percentage this season and has thrown six touchdowns to five interceptions. Those are not the numbers the 49ers are looking for when paying big money for their quarterback.
Kaepernick's salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, and the resolution reportedly could come in February at the scouting combine, according to La Canfora. It's unclear where Kaepernick will be next season, but it seems almost certain that he is on his way out the door in San Francisco.
