Written by Mark Purdy at MercuryNews.com
Jed York, the 49ers’ owner, wants Colin Kaepernick to be a 49ers quarterback. That should not be news. But after events of the last week, it qualifies as such.
“All I can tell you,” York told me, “is that the last conversation I had with Kap was a good conversation. I asked how he was feeling. I hope he’s doing well. I care about his health and well-being because I think he can be a big piece of what we’re doing, going forward.”
Frankly, I am not sure how the ongoing Kaepernick reality show is going to end. I’m not certain that Kaepernick or the 49ers do, either.
But I know this much: The NFL, which does such a genius job of keeping itself in the news all 12 months of every year, must have loved events of this past week in Indianapolis at the scouting combine.
First, in the We-Really-Like-Kap microphone drill, new 49ers coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke both said they look forward to having Kaepernick on the roster after April 1 when his $11.9 million salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed.
Next, in the Not-So-Fast-You-Guys vertical jump, reports surfaced that Kaepernick is upset with the 49ers and wants to be traded.
Finally, in the Could-It-Happen shuttle drill, there was speculation that the 49ers might simply release Kaepernick on April 1. That way, they would avoid paying all that money to an allegedly discontented quarterback whose rehab from offseason surgery might not be complete by then, anyway.
We’ll see how the rest plays out. But the last option seems to be off the table. After all, the final authority on whether the 49ers will cut Kaepernick a check on April 1 is York. And that’s his intention.
“I think that it was very clear from Chip, from Trent and ultimately with my blessing to say that we’re more than comfortable paying Kap,” York said. “Because they want him here. Chip thinks he would be a great fit for our offense.”
To continue reading this article, click here.
