The San Francisco 49ers appear to be dealing with bigger issues than who will be getting a contract extension and who will not be returning. Reports surrounding Jim Harbaugh's status with the team continue to surface after a reported trade was negotiated for the head coach with the Cleveland Browns. While everyone continues to deny anything and everything regarding Harbaugh, the rumors will not go away.
The 49ers were hoping headlines yesterday would focus around the contract extension to wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Approaching free agency, San Francisco made Boldin a priority after his strong 2013 season as one of Colin Kaepernick's favorite targets. While the two sides would not disclose any contract details, according to ESPN's Ed Werder, the deal is worth two-years and $12 million with $9 million in guaranteed money. Boldin had been seeking a multi-year deal and was hoping to get something in the range of three years, but the two sides seem to have reached an agreement.
While the 49ers were releasing press releases regarding the recent contract move, the media focused on Harbaugh again, this time reporting a supposed rift between he and Boldin. Reports surfaced that Harbaugh had a strained relationship with the players that stems from his ongoing tension with the front office staff. Boldin denied the idea that he or any other player was not happy with Harbaugh as the head coach.
"When I did hear about it, I kind of laughed," Boldin said, via ESPN.com. "I don't think anybody in our locker room has an issue with Coach Harbaugh. The way our locker room is built, we have an open door policy. If anybody has any concerns or wants to voice their opinions, they're more than welcome to. There have been times when we've voiced our concerns as players and Coach Harbaugh has listened to us and taken into consideration how we felt as players. I don't think there's any rift between players and coaches, particularly Coach Harbaugh."
Boldin went on to stress that Harbaugh was actually a big reason why he opted to re-sign with the team in the first place. He noted that he has a great relationship with the head coach and that played a big part in his success last season. Kaepernick is certainly one of his top targets is returning. He took to Twitter to praise the wide receiver coming back, stressing that the 49ers were just getting started.
Getting Boldin's contract done was easy, which likely will not be the words used to describe the contract status of Kaepernick. According to the Boston Globe, the 49ers quarterback is hoping to earn somewhere around $18.1 million a year which is similar to the deal that Jay Cutler signed recently. While Kaepernick is not going anywhere, the 49ers might not be willing to shell out that kind of money for a player simply coming off his rookie deal.
