A while back I scoffed at the notion that the 49ers would keep Colin Kaepernick on the roster past April 1, at which point his entire $11.9 million salary for 2016 would become guaranteed. Just tough talk to help them get more in a trade with another team, I figured.
I stand corrected. San Francisco probably won't be cutting Kaepernick, because they wouldn't save any money by doing so. The quarterback is coming off surgery, and isn't expected to be able to pass a physical before April 1. If they cut him while injured, they'll be on the hook for his entire salary anyway.
This doesn't necessarily mean he'll be with the 49ers, however. Chip Kelly can say whatever he wants, but odds are the team won't give the benched quarterback another chance. They'll still likely trade him, but when that happens, they may end up having to pay a portion of his salary to the team they deal him to. Or getting very little in a trade just to ensure they don't have to pay that figure, and the other team will.
In any case, no need to monitor that April 1 deadline for him to be traded, or not traded, to a quarterback-needy team like the Broncos or Jets (who at last report weren't interested in him anyway). San Francisco will likely need him to be fully recovered from surgery before they ship him out of town.
Kaepernick and Ryan Fitzpatrick might be in limbo a little while longer.
--Andy Richardson
