San Francisco 49ers Rumors: Colin Kaepernick May Be On His Last Legs With Team, Must Prove Himself Or Be Traded

The San Francisco 49ers are rumored to be looking into a big shift, giving quarterback Colin Kaepernick one last chance to prove that he can remain the starting quarterback and possibly moving him to the trade block if he fails the test.

Kaepernick has endured a shaky tenure with the 49ers, leading the team to the NFC Championship in the first year he took over starting duties and to the Super Bowl the following season, but he has reportedly fallen out of favor with the team.

Reports that Kaepernick is on the trading block have bounced around for a few weeks now, but new reports suggest that there are a number of teams interested.

Lastly, for the record, direct quote, “SF put Kaepernick on the trading block”. Remember, everything done in the dark comes to light.

— Jayson Braddock (@JaysonBraddock) March 9, 2015

For their part, the San Francisco 49ers have denied the Colin Kaepernick trade rumors. General manager Trent Baalke said the team plans to move forward with the Nevada quarterback.

“Colin is our quarterback and we are excited to have him,” Baalke said in a team-issued statement. “He is not going anywhere. The media reports suggesting otherwise are without merit and quite frankly ridiculous.”

Many believe Baalke is telling the truth, noting that the San Francisco 49ers don’t really have other options at quarterback and that Kaepernick is still among the better half of quarterbacks in the league, even with his struggles.

But even if Colin Kaepernick may not be immediately on the trade block, the team appears to be putting quite a bit of pressure on him to prove he can keep the starting job. Baalke has been bragging about the team’s new set of offensive weapons, including running back Reggie Bush and wide receiver Torry Smith.

Baalke implied that Kaepernick should be able to perform better now with more tools at his disposal.

“Reggie has really been an asset to Colin and has opened up some things,” Baalke said. “When you get the speed going down the field and you give a back like Reggie room to work in the third-down packages and stuff like that, it really is a bonus for the quarterback. And Colin is developing a real rapport with Reggie coming out of the backfield.”

But the moves also mean more pressure on Colin Kaepernick to succeed now, and the rumors that the San Francisco 49ers already had him on the trade block could mean this is his last chance to prove he can keep the starting job.

[Image via Getty Images/Streeter Lecka]