Colin Kaepernick Reportedly Done At 49ers — Is He Done In The NFL, Too?
The injury to Colin Kaepernick may be the opening sentence of the last chapter of the book that is his career. If it is, then every chapter that came before would hardly indicate a shocking turn of events.
Colin began his professional career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 as a backup. When starting quarterback Alex Smith went out with a concussion, Kaepernick’s career subsequently took off. The San Francisco Chronicle writes that Kaepernick performed far beyond previous expectations. The 49ers saw an opportunity in Colin they didn’t see in Alex — and the observation cost the latter man his job. And yet, and as always is the case when it comes to how well a team performs, not everything was as it seemed.
To the casual observer, the skill that Colin Kaepernick demonstrated was all Colin. However, a quarterback needs a solid offensive line to truly show off their skills. It’s argued that what the 49ers staff saw was a backup quarterback made to look good by players who did not get enough credit or appreciation.
When a team like San Francisco begins to hemorrhage outstanding offensive and defensive players (and a coach) over a three-season period, one should have anticipated an inevitable decline. Without such players behind which to shine, 28-year-old Colin Kaepernick has been exposed as mostly mediocre. However, that’s not entirely his fault — it’s the fault of a franchise that jumped the gun. They overestimated the value of one piece of the puzzle without considering the value of the other pieces. They may hope getting rid of Kaepernick will help rid them of the egg splattered across their faces, but it probably won’t remove much.
@AnnKillion on the #49ers QB Colin Kaepernick’s meteoric rise and fall https://t.co/BL5SnLTdxL pic.twitter.com/7zv4EYlhWu
— SFGate (@SFGate) November 21, 2015
With the way things are going, it’s looking more and more like Colin’s done as a “good quarterback.” This is something Pro Football Focus writer Sam Monson predicted three months ago.
“Take a look at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s PFF grade over three seasons as a (mostly) staring [sic] quarterback: +22.9, +6.2, -10.1.
“Those numbers are in chronological order, and the best mark, his first year starting, was earned largely from Week 11 on as he took over from Alex Smith. Kaepernick was at that time a dynamic weapon to be feared at quarterback, but now he is below average and getting worse.
“He is coming off another negatively graded performance against the Broncos in the third preseason game — the traditional dress rehearsal game — in which many observers are left asking the question: Is Kaepernick’s time as a successful NFL starter over?”
Colin Kaepernick was benched a few weeks ago, which may have answered Monson’s question. Then Kaepernick experienced a serious, season-ending injury. With the season Colin was having before the injury (and the downward arc of his career path), it could be the worst is yet to come.
If the San Francisco 49ers decide to pass on keeping Colin Kaepernick around, where can he go from here? Kaepernick was at his best when he had a good, solid offense. A loss of stability and a loss of confidence could make it hard for him to gel with many NFL teams. And once a previously promising quarterback reveals himself to be mediocre, few good teams are willing to extend a helping hand.
It’s possible that Colin Kaepernick returns to “backup status” somewhere. He may start for a less than stellar NFL team. However, if things continue as they have been, it would be overly optimistic of me to predict that Colin Kaepernick will even have a place in the NFL within four years.
49ers will look to trade Colin Kaepernick this offseason, per not shocking @rapsheet report https://t.co/fAkDyIKXjz pic.twitter.com/wAcSrHWDvx
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) November 22, 2015
Yes, it’s almost a unanimous feeling that Colin is done at the 49ers — what’s not so unanimous it what happens next. Will dumb luck find him again, or is Kaepernick to be another “overrated quarterback who was eventually bounced from the NFL?” I hate to say it, but the latter is starting to seem the more likely outcome.
What do you think the future holds for Colin Kaepernick? Will he ever demonstrate the promise he showed at the beginning of his NFL career? Share your thoughts below!
[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
