San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has come up in trade rumors this offseason and teams like the NY Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans could be potential landings spots if Kaepernick is traded.
Kaepernick's future with the 49ers has been up in the air all season, as the quarterback dealt with injuries and lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert. Kaepernick's contract offers the 49ers chances to get out of future years during the offseason and there is a chance the team could consider moving on from the quarterback. Chip Kelly is taking over as the new head coach and while his offense seems suited for a player like Kaepernick, Kelly has made no guarantees about who will be the starter in 2016.
Kaepernick's name has come up in trade reports this offseason, as the New York Daily News reported earlier in the month that the quarterback wants out of San Francisco. Manish Mehta reported that Kaepernick is looking to get out of the Bay Area and that the NY Jets are his top choice if he is traded. Mehta reported that the team is "intrigued," but that they are in the "early stages of their offseason planning and evaluation." The Jets have Ryan Fitzpatrick hitting free agency and the team has expressed interest in signing him back for the 2016 season.
There was some pushback on the original reports from Mehta, as Jason La Canfora at CBS Sports reported that the Jets interest in Kaepernick is not mutual. La Canfora wrote that the Jets "have not" had interest in the quarterback and "are not interested" in making a trade this offseason. La Canfora reported that a trade "remains very likely" and that Kaepernick "has wanted out," but that the Jets interest is overblown. La Canfora also added that Chip Kelly "has done nothing to build a relationship" with Kaepernick since taking over as coach.
Kaepernick has regressed over the past two seasons and there is a chance that the 49ers will move on from the quarterback with Kelly taking over. The team could push Gabbert as the starter, draft a quarterback like Paxton Lynch, or they can look at Sam Bradford in free agency as options for 2016. Last season Kaepernick played in nine games and had just six touchdowns with five interceptions. Kaepernick is coming back after multiple surgeries and the team may not be prepared to get behind him as the starter moving forward.