National Football League

Kyle Shanahan Not Counting Colin Kaepernick Out

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:03 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Carl Cockerham/FanSided via With the First Pick

Last week, reports came out the Colin Kaepernick will opt out of his contract this offseason. But there is reason to believe now that it doesn’t have to go that way.

San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is supposed to become a free agent next month. There were all sorts of reports saying he would opt out of his contract regardless of the new GM and HC hires. But that could be moreless the belief that the new regime wants him out.

However, if you really think about it, both sides could benefit from having the other. Kaepernick has $14 million on the table and it’s not guaranteed he gets that anywhere else. Staying gives him another year to prove what he’s worth while collecting that $14 million.

Plus Shanahan could turn him back into the kind of QB that once took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. And for Shanahan, it gives him a QB with a experience and just might become a star again. At the very least, it gives him a stop-gap option with a QB class that isn’t good.

Next year’s draft class will be good so if all fails with Kaepernick, Shanahan can draft one in 2018. GM John Lynch said that Kaepernick “reached out” and that the 49ers will meet with him. Shanahan wants to at least study film of Kaepernick before letting him walk.

He said per NBC, “Colin, just like any other player, is someone I’m going to be watching a lot of tape on over these next few weeks. “Before we can look into anything—free agency, draft, anything—you have to know what the players on your team are.

“That doesn’t happen from just turning on a game. That happens from watching a lot of stuff. It takes a lot of time. It is a process. I am a little bit behind right now, but I have the time to do it and I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait to get started on it.”

That’s what a new coach is supposed to do—see what he has first.

He just might be able to work with Kaepernick.

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