The 49ers “absolutely” expect Colin Kaepernick to be on their team next season. But have they talked to him about that?
One day after San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke declare that he anticipated Kaepernick back and hours after new 49ers coach Chip Kelly endorsed the 28-year-old , Kaepernick’s agents requested permission to seek a trade, according to NFL Network.
“You can just look at the tape to see how talented he is,” Kelly told the Sacramento Bee of Kaepernick, who who led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII.
“You know, our job is acquiring talent, not getting rid of talent.”
But getting rid of talent is exactly what Kaepernick wants them to do, it seems.
While his agents asked for permission to find a trading partner, they have not received the go-ahead, according to the report. The 49ers need to make a decision on him by April 1, when Kaepernick’s base salary of $11.9 million for 2016 becomes guaranteed.
Kelly and Kaepernick were thought to be a good match — a speedy, running quarterback who could run Kelly’s breakneck offense. The offense had created NFL waves in Philadelphia, until a lack of a quarterback — and shaky personnel moves by Kelly — led to his ouster.
Kaepernick’s stock has diminished the last two seasons, including his getting benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert last season. Still, in a quarterback-starved league, a lot of teams would be willing to roll the dice on a young rehabilitation project, who’s already led one team to a Super Bowl appearance.