The future of quarterback Colin Kaepernick was thought to be slightly uncertain when the San Francisco 49ers parted ways with former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Given Kaepernick's uneven play in 2014 and the structure of his contract, many NFL observers thought it was possible, though unlikely, that the Niners could be looking for a new quarterback.
Fanning the flames was a report last night that San Fran had officially put Kaepernick on the trading block. However, 49ers general manager was quick to put that fire out.
"Colin is our quarterback and we are excited to have him. He is not going anywhere," Baalke said in a statement, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. "The media reports suggesting otherwise are without merit and quite frankly ridiculous."
The original report came from Jayson Braddock of KBME Sports Talk 790 in Houston. Braddock went further than saying that Kaepernick was available, he also listed the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears as two teams that had already touched base with San Fran about a potential deal.
But whether it's a high school book report or the inner-workings of NFL franchises, fact checking is always a necessity. Coupled with Baalke's emphatic denial is Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports who reported that not a single team had spoken to the 49ers about Kaepernick. Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo echoed those sentiments as well.
As of now, it seems clear that the 49ers are not actively seeking out a deal for Kaepernick. But does that mean the organization isn't willing to at least hear offers from other teams? Many NFL observers thought the 27-year-old QB regressed as a passer last season. Kaepernick completed 60.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 3,369 yards with 19 touchdowns and a career-high 10 interceptions. The Niners ranked 30th in passing yards per game (191.4) and 25th in scoring (19.1).
However, new offensive coordinator Geep Chryst is rumored to be installing more read-option plays into the offense in order to restore Kaepernick to the dynamic playmaker he was just two years ago.
No major move is imminent or even likely at this point for the San Francisco 49ers. But keeping one eye on the situation probably isn't a terrible idea.
