So Chip, there’s a rumor out there. It says Colin Kaepernick wants out of San Francisco.
“No way,” Chip Kelly, the San Francisco 49ers’ new head coach, said as he smiled with feigned surprised.
Kaepernick is the enormously talented, but slumping young quarterback with the 49ers. He has been rehabbing three surgically repaired injuries – to his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb – in Vail, where he had his operations at the Steadman Clinic.
Meanwhile, his agents, Jason Bernstein and Scott Smith, are trying to facilitate a trade for their client. The Denver Broncos, who are in the quarterback market after losing Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to free agency, are the team most interested in acquiring Kaepernick.
“Yeah, I’ve talked to Kaep,” Kelly said Wednesday at the NFC head coaches breakfast. “That’s not what our conversations have been about. Our conversations have been about, I understand there’s a business side in the National Football League but I’d be really excited to work with him if we have him whenever we start (the offseason program) on April 4.
“That’s the plan. I’ve known Kaep before so it’s not like I haven’t met him before. My conversations with him have just been about ... I think he knows that I would love to have him.”
The Broncos are waiting until April 1 to make their move on Kaepernick or go in another direction. Kaepernick is scheduled to make $14.3 million in salary and bonuses in 2016. He has an $11.9 million portion in salary that becomes fully guaranteed on April 1.
The Broncos are hoping the 49ers release Kaepernick so they can sign him as a free agent rather than surrender a draft pick in a trade.
But the 49ers’ football bosses of general manager Trent Baalke and Kelly have reiterated during these NFL owners meetings they have no plans on cutting their quarterback.
“No. Not even in the conversation,” Kelly said. “I don’t think you cut talent.”
If the 49ers don’t release him, the Broncos would argue Kaepernick’s trade value is offset by his hefty contract that pays him not only $14.3 million this year, but $16.9 million in 2017; $17.4 million in 2018; $19.2 million in 2019 and $21.4 million in 2020.
The Broncos consider that contract too rich for a quarterback whose production has fallen.
So money is another issue for the Broncos in their quest to acquire Kaepernick. To be sure, a Kaepernick deal has enough obstacles for the Broncos to eventually move on to Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer or the draft in their question to supplement their quarterback group that currently consists of Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian.
As for Kaepernick the quarterback, it can be argued his combination of long-legged speed and high-velocity arm makes him the No. 1 raw talent in the league. His dual threat pass-run ability would seem to make him an ideal fit for both Gary Kubiak’s West Coast offense and Kelly’s option, high octane system.
“I mean I love his skill set,” Kelly said. “So I don’t know till you get to work with guys on a consistent basis If anybody’s this or that. But when you turn on the tape and watch what he’s done in this league it’s pretty impressive.”
It was impressive. Past tense? Kaepernick went 17-6 in his first two seasons as a starter in 2012-13, leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game each season. His passer ratings were 98.3 and 91.6.
In the past two seasons, though, Kaepernick’s record was 10-14 as his passer ratings fell to 86.4 and 78.5.
“I think the biggest misconception that people don’t realize with Kaep is just injuries,” Kelly said. “It’s not like his skill set diminished. I mean he went on injured reserve last year. He only played half the season. He was legitimately injured. He’s in the process of rehabbing right now – he had a shoulder, had a thumb had a knee. That’s where when people look at where he fell off -- he didn’t fall off. He got hurt.
“So I think the biggest thing with Kaep is let’s get him healthy. I think this league has seen a healthy Kaep and he’s been pretty impressive.”
