San Francisco 49ers

Report: Kaepernick jerseys removed from 49ers' clearance section after Chip Kelly hire

Published Jan. 14, 2016 4:32 p.m. ET

Brett Smiley

In the wake of the San Francisco 49ers' hiring of Chip Kelly as its new head coach, it appears the 25-percent sale on Colin Kaepernick merchandise has expired.

Courtesy of freelance reporter and former San Jose Mercury News scribe Mike Rosenberg, we've got a before-and-after view of the Shop49ers.com online store, the official 49ers shop linked from NFL.com.

First, here are prices on Kaepernick gear on Nov. 28, 2015, about a week after the team placed him on season-ending injured reserve following surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder:

Goodbye? 49ers have put all their Colin Kaepernick items on sale (unlike other players) https://t.co/CVS1Da42LZ pic.twitter.com/VWQ1fmoMpB
— Mike Rosenberg (@RosenbergMerc) November 28, 2015

Have your pick of red, black or limited-edition military-themed gear at 25-percent off. Not bad.

According to Rosenberg, only Kaepernick gear was discounted at that time.

Now, on Thursday, after the 49ers’ hiring of Kelly:

FWIW the 49ers have taken just about all of the Colin Kaepernick merchandise off clearance pic.twitter.com/bkzJYtdn4n
— Mike Rosenberg (@RosenbergMerc) January 14, 2016

Kelly is believed to have landed in San Francisco at least partly because Kaepernick has had success on read-option plays like the kind that Kelly’s fast-paced offensive system uses. At least he’s better suited for it than Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez was in Philadelphia, partly which contributed to Kelly's ouster with the Eagles.

That said, Kaepernick endured an acrimonious few months with the organization down the stretch in 2015 and his 2016 salary, if they decide to keep him, is almost $12 million -- high, but not outrageous as far as QBs go.

But if the jersey price uptick is any signal, buckle up for a possible Kaepernick-San Francisco kiss-and-make-up.