Colin Kaepernick is now officially a free agent, opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers as many expected. Despite the changes at the helm, the 29-year-old quarterback shunned his current deal though there was the word that he would be cut anyway but new general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan.
This means that the San Francisco 49ers will start with a fresh slate with all quarterbacks gone.
Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder are also expected to test the NFL free agent market. Colin Kaepernick could return to the 49ers fold though it would involve a different and likely cheaper deal to run an entirely new offense to be implemented by Shanahan.
Kyle Shanahan quarterback choices plenty
With plenty of teams in need of a quarterback, it will be interesting if any would pick up Colin Kaepernick. The past season saw the Milwaukee native indulged in several controversies that included kneeling during the national anthem as a sign of protest. He did regain his starting spot from Blaine Gabbert but the move hardly mattered for the 49ers who fared miserably.
Lynch and Shanahan are looking at busy days ahead as they try to retool the 49ers. Decisions on who to fill up vacate roster spots will be made starting with the quarterback position. Shanahan previously mentioned the names of New England Patriots Jimmy Garoppolo, Matt Schaub of the Atlanta Falcons and Brian Hoyer of the Chicago Bears as potential candidates. Schaub and Hoyer have ties with Shanahan.
Shanahan is looking for the perfect facilitator as the 49ers are expected to employ a different kind of offensive set. Shanahan has been known for his offense, tasked to take on the role personally and hopefully restore order to the spiraling San Francisco 49ers.
The road ahead for Colin Kaepernick
As for Kaepernick, most believe that he is unlikely to get anything bigger than the contract he opted out from. Though the obvious is that he is in a no-win situation, finding a team who can continue to trust him after a tumultuous season is up for debate.
The NFL break should prove to be interesting. Colin Kaepernick is just one of many players who could be moving. Other names worth noting include Tony Romo and the impending coming of DeShaun Watson from the 2017 NFL Draft.