The San Francisco 49ers signed Colin Kaepernick to a new contract prior to the start of the 2014 season which cemented him as the franchise quarterback for the next six years to the tune of $114 million with $61 million in guaranteed money. However, for most of this offseason, the quarterback has faced trade rumors making it appear his future is in doubt. With general manager Trent Baalke speaking out in support of the quarterback, will the 49ers draft a quarterback to be safe?
Instead of talking about the additions of wide receiver Torrey Smith or Reggie Bush, the San Francisco 49ers have been fighting off trade rumors around quarterback. Baalke made it clear Kaepernick was not up for grabs. He confirmed Kaepernick will return as the starter no matter what the media says.
"There has not been a discussion with another team regarding Kap," Baalke said, via the team website. "We have not made a call, nor has anyone called us. So the report that was pushed out there was false, one hundred percent false. The guy is talented football player. He can impact a game with his arm, with his feet and he's done it a consistent level. We've won a lot of playoff games with him. We've won a lot of football games with him. And we look forward to winning a lot more with him. He is our quarterback."
While the 49ers are clear they are not trading Kaepernick this offseason, it is clear the quarterback took a step back in 2014. Kaepernick struggled with his throws while not being as explosive on the ground. It could easily be a one-time thing, but it might be enough for the 49ers to eye quarterbacks in the draft to develop as a backup plan. Right now, the team has Blaine Gabbert as their Plan B. That is not exactly ideal for San Francisco.
The 49ers could easily grab a quarterback in a later round to play behind Kaepernick. Drafting someone like Brett Hundley would give the team a quarterback with a similar skillset to Kaepernick. However, he could be gone before the team is ready to make a move. Bryce Petty could be a solid option along with Garrett Grayson. Neither quarterback is ready to start immediately, but the 49ers do not need that. They would simply be a quality option to play behind Kaepernick and jump in should struggles continue.
