The San Francisco 49ers may consider a trade with Colin Kaepernick this offseason if head coach Chip Kelly does not see a future in the Bay Area with the quarterback. Teams like the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and Texans could be potential landing spots if Kaepernick is traded.
Kaepernick's future in San Francisco has been up in the air all season, as the quarterback lost his starting job and is coming back from multiple surgeries. Kaepernick has regressed over the past two years and that could lead the 49ers to consider other options at quarterback. Blaine Gabbert played well last season after taking over for Kaepernick and Kelly has praised Gabbert since taking over as head coach. Kelly could consider adding a quarterback in free agency or the draft even if Kaepernick stays with the team, as the 49ers may not be ready to fully commit to Kaepernick as he comes back from injuries.
Trade rumors regarding Kaepernick have come up this offseason, as the New York Daily News reported earlier in the month that Kaepernick was looking to get out of San Francisco. According to Manish Mehta, Kaepernick is looking to get traded to the New York Jets and the team is reportedly "intrigued" about the situation. The Jets are considering bringing back Ryan Fitzpatrick for next season and Mehta writes that the team remains in the "early stages of their offseason planning and evaluation."
But the Kaepernick report to the Jets also did receive some pushback about its accuracy, with Jason La Canfora at CBS Sports reporting that the team has not had interest and is "not interested" in trading for Kaepernick. La Canfora does admit though that the idea of a trade is spot on, but that the destination may not be quite right. La Canfora writes that Kaepernick has "wanted out" of San Francisco and that a trade "remains very likely" this offseason. La Canfora adds that so far Kelly has "done nothing to build a relationship" with Kaepernick since taking over as head coach.
If Kaepernick is traded, there are some teams that could be potential fits for the quarterback, including the Eagles, Browns and Texans. Doug Pederson is taking over in Philadelphia and after finding success in Kansas City with a mobile quarterback like Alex Smith, Kaepernick could be a potential option if Sam Bradford doesn't return. The Browns are preparing to move on from Johnny Manziel and while the team may draft a quarterback, Kaepernick could be a target for new head coach Hue Jackson. The 49ers could push a Kaepernick at the draft this year if they want to add a pick or two at the event, according to La Canfora.