NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Releasing Colin Kaepernick Next Week

NFL rumors have been swirling around Colin Kaepernick. We are less than a week away from when the San Francisco 49ers have to make a big decision on what they want to do with their quarterback position. Kaepernick is still interested in finding a new home in the National Football League, so that he can resurrect his once promising career. According to NBC Sports, Kaepernick is guaranteed $11.9 million by next Friday if the team does not remove the former second-round pick from their roster.

Last season, Colin Kaepernick was benched by San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula. He was replaced by Blaine Gabbert. Tomsula was fired by the Niners after just one year at the position. He had been with the franchise for several years as the defensive line coach. With Tomsula gone, many would expect Kaepernick to be fine with the situation. However, it appears that Colin is blaming the entire 49ers franchise for the benching because he reportedly asked for a trade even after Tomsula was canned.

When the San Francisco 49ers hired Chip Kelly to be their new head coach, a big reason for that was because they felt that the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach could help them groom a quarterback. His offensive system limits the amount of thinking that a quarterback has to do. The multiple prong attack also enables athletic NFL quarterbacks, such as Colin Kapernick, to be even more of a threat.

Colin Kaepernick wanted more than just Chip Kelly. He wanted a fresh start. Kaepernick no longer wanted to be associated with the San Francisco 49ers. The former Nevada Wolfpack star was said to be heavily interested in playing for the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns. Things must be pretty bad when an NFL player has a desire to join a downtrodden franchise like the Browns.

Since they recently signed Robert Griffin III to a two year deal, the Cleveland Browns are no longer an option for Colin Kaepernick. Though the team was once willing to send a third round selection in the upcoming NFL draft to the San Francisco 49ers, they are now going to rely on the former Washington Redskins starting quarterback instead. The Browns are hoping that Griffin III can finally provide them with quality play at the position after years of struggling to find a capable passer.

Even though their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick are not going well, the New York Jets are said to no longer be interested in other NFL quarterbacks. They’re either really confident that Fitzpatrick is going to fold, or they don’t see any available players that they want. Colin Kaepernick isn’t a bad backup plan in case Fitzpatrick gets upset and leaves for another team in the National Football League.

Of course, the entire game changes if the San Francisco 49ers release Colin Kaepernick next Friday. Since he would be a free agent, NFL teams would be more willing to sign him. That way, they won’t need to give up valuable assets such as draft picks. Kaepernick might even get a chance with teams that already have a starting quarterback since he can be utilized as a backup. However, the belief is that Colin is going to have his agent find a team that will let him start.

For both Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers, this strange saga needs to come to an end. Kaepernick would like to continue his career in the NFL, and he would like to do so as a starter. The Niners need a starting quarterback, and if Kaepernick is not that guy, then it’s time to move on to someone else.

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]