No one knows what new San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly's plan is for the franchise's immediate or long-term future. No one really even knows whether he'll have a say when it comes to personnel, although GM Trent Baalke remains in place and seems set to be the man collecting the groceries for Kelly's up-tempo offense and two-gap 3-4 "D." With the Niners facing questions all over their roster after just one year of the Jim Tomsula era, there's likely to be a bunch of brand new faces taking the field in San Francisco come preseason. Surprisingly, one of those faces may very well be quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, is "more than open" to a San Fran return in 2016.
Considering his ridiculous contract and abysmal play from last season, it's hard to envision the Niners keeping Kaep on. Kelly may very well look at the video of Blaine Gabbert's steady play from last season and see it as the perfect fit for his offense now while he grooms a franchise signal-caller for later. But Kaepernick, flaws and all, also represents potential that Gabbert simply can't touch. Yes, he struggled last year and yes his $11.9 million base salary is fully guaranteed if he's on the roster April 1, but it wasn't all that long ago that Kaepernick was leading the Niners to NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl.
His talent has never been in question - only his attitude and ability to diagnose NFL defenses. With Kelly now in place, there's no knowing just what the future holds for the team or for Kaep. But if Kaepernick's open to a return - something that's been refuted by any number of reports and rumors already this season - the Niners will have to at least consider reconciling with a player who was once the face of the franchise and a guy most believed to be capable of winning it all.
