Colin Kaepernick done for the season with left-shoulder injury

The San Francisco 49ers just announced they’ve placed quarterback Colin Kaepernick on season-ending Injured Reserve, and have promoted quarterback Dylan Thompson from the practice squad to the active roster.

Kaepernick apparently injured his non-throwing shoulder Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, although the injury didn’t show up on the 49ers’ practice report until this Friday. Strange.

Kaepernick almost certainly won’t play another game for the 49ers–they probably will trade Kaepernick for a draft pick during the offseason.

Goodbye, Colin. We hardly knew you.

This article has 243 Comments

  1. Sitting for the remainder of the season will certainly effect his trade value. What is the best you think they can get for him now?

    If he had played out the rest of the year I would have thought a combo of either 2 3’s or a 3 and a 4 or a 3 and a 5 would be the best case scenario for him. At this point I think we’re looking at a conditional 4th that could be come a second if he’s the teams starter for more then 1/2 the snaps in 2016.

    1. Sounds about right. QBs tend to be over- valued. The talk of cutting him didn’t make sense to me.

    2. I don’t expect the injury to have much of any impact on his trade value. Getting the surgery now means he’ll be right to go next season. As its his non-throwing shoulder its not likely to impact his long term ability as a QB. Basically, if any team was willing to trade for him prior to this injury, I think they’d still be willing to trade for him, at the same price, now.

  2. Colin Kaepernick had second opinion on left shoulder, which found “significant tear” in his labrum, per source. Could have surgery Tuesday. – Barrows

    Its his non-throwing side. I’m hoping the 49ers aren’t on the hook for his 2016 injury guarantee.

  3. Seth WickershamVerified account
    ‏@SethWickersham
    Kap has a temp disability clause in his contract: If he misses games due to injury, he pays premium, and the team is the beneficiary.

      1. I’d be very surprised if they did. If that was the case more teams would require players to have disability insurance contracts.

    1. Don’t confuse CEO with the term “man”, a man acts with integrity and honor…something this person jed lacks

  4. Sorry to hear about this, but now the inaccurate throws have an explanation.
    I hope Kaep stays with the team since Tomsula likes him so much. Once fully healed, he can still be a dominant QB in this league.
    Now I will fully support Gabbert, and hope he leads the team to victory.
    GO NINERS!!!!!!

      1. I must say, having played with injuries, they are no fun. Its obvious that something was wrong with him, and guys who think he can play though a labrum tear are the ones who are delusional.
        Glad the Packers are on a 3 game losing streak. Mathews is a dirty player and finally succeeded to injure Kaep. At least is was on the field, and not out of bounds.
        I wish Kaep a speedy recovery, and I thank him for his stellar play over the years.

        1. This is why I had coffee’ back when he told his story on his shoulder. And I have the same thing. Still haven’t had surgery yet.
          It has nothing to do with his accuracy unless he’s had it for 2 years now. You don’t think it’s funny how all of a sudden he’s injured now? Never talked about it once before.
          Bruh… He isn’t a good qb. Somewhere down the line you’re going to have to face this.
          I just hope you don’t go onelame and start getting nuts over a qb. Like he did with alex smith.

          1. ninermd

            Thank you for stating it so clearly…this is a fluke created by his personal ‘ambulance-chaser’…and some doctor in Colorado

          2. Kaep may not be a good QB to you, but dumping on him when he is injured is poor sportsmanship. Thought this site was better than that.

    1. Seb, do you think his bad shoulder had anything to do with his missing Torrey and Simpson totally uncovered in that sequence during the Rams game? Kaep is just a bad QB. Let some dumb front office have him.

      1. No. I think it had to do with CTE. Tunnel vision is just one of the symptoms. Slowness in processing data is another. Throwing a pick six on his first pass was a clue, but throwing another pick six the next series was a red flag. Kaep had taken some massive hits. he was sacked 28 times. Its cumulative.

    2. “Now the inaccurate throws have an explanation.”

      I’d give that some credence if he hadn’t been a wayward passer before the injury, and he hadn’t had two of his best games of the year in weeks 5 and 6.

      1. Scooter, I actually think it started from the first game. Kaep was blown up on a big hit near the side line. Kaep quickly jumped to his feet and ran back to the huddle, but after such a nasty hit, the proper response should have been to stay down and assess the damage. He sprung up because he knew they would pull him otherwise, and he wanted to stay in the game and not show how badly he hurt.
        Kaep then also took a big hit in the Steeler game. I think it was cumulative.

        1. You also haven’t explained why he was able to put up his best games of the season in weeks 5 and 6, despite this “cumulative” build up of injuries since week 1… which only manifested as pain to Kaep after the Packers game (week 4).

          1. Best games? His play since the first game has not been great. In those games, maybe his team mates played better, too.

            1. Yes, his best games of the season were week 5 (Ravens) and week 6 (Giants). One can argue he played well week 2 against the Steelers as well, but that was all in the second half after the game was gone.

              Week 1 Carlos Hyde was excellent. Kaep barely did anything.

              Stop trying to come up with excuses for him. He has played poorly this season. I’m sure the injury didn’t help, but he showed in weeks 5 and 6 that the injury was no reason for him to be unable to play through it. His issues go well beyond the injury to his non-throwing shoulder.

              1. I have conceded many times that Kaep is playing poorly. You are saying he played well week 5+6, but he still did not perform up to the expectations most fans wanted.
                To me, Kaep seemed slow and confused. he lacked crispness. the tunnel vision is a classic symptom of CTE. He got injured because he was pummeled many times.

              2. Lets see:

                – Week 5 (Giants): 23/35 for 262 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 2 sacks, QB Rating of 107.1
                – Week 6 (Ravens): 16/27 for 340 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 3 sacks, QB Rating of 128.2

                If that isn’t what 49ers fans were hoping for from Kaep, what the heck were they hoping for? More laterals?

                Kaep has had ‘tunnel vision’ and seemed ‘slow and confused’ long before this season. You are so badly in need of excuses you are simply making s$#& up now.

              3. Kap’s issues are from the neck down. The Warner crash course wasn’t enough to compensate for years of mechanical neglect….

              4. Scooter, your ardor to try and challenge me is commendable, but pretty pointless. Kaep is injured. He did not play well. This injury will require surgery. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that his digression could be linked to his injury. Some posters who say he should have shrugged it off are clueless.
                MY OPINION is that he looked slow and confused. You may have a different opinion. My opinion can be challenged, but I will keep defending it. I will never meekly say that your opinion is the only one in the world, and that I am not entitled to an opinion. Get off your high horse.

              5. Razor, posters have been saying ad nauseum he cannot read a defense and make the progressions. That definitely pertains to cerebral calculations.

              6. Scooter, he did well against 2 of the worst defenses in the league and lost one of them. They were not his finest moments. To say he was uninjured in those games is nonsense if he was injured week 3 and now at week 10 he needs surgery.

              7. You have your opinions, I have mine. You are indeed entitled to state your opinion. That is the point of this forum. I am also entitled to challenge that opinion and present my own.

                Now, please go back through and find where I said I think he wasn’t injured in week 5 and 6? I think I have been pretty clear in saying I understand he was injured, but he was able to play through it and play well in those games. At a standard that is in keeping with his performance against similar calibre Ds in the past. If the injury was really bothering him so badly, how is it he was able to do so?

    3. what was his excuse for being inaccurate and unable to read defenses prior to the Green Bay game.

      I guarantee that had he been named the starter this week we’d still not hear about his “injury.”

        1. You’re evading the question and the point. Was he or wasn’t he inaccurate and bad at reading defenses before the GB game this year? Didn’t he have his best games after the GB game? How can you blame his poor performance on an injury that he didn’t have yet?

          There would be no injury requiring surgery next week if he had been named the starter. It seems to me that he may have hurt his shoulder lifting weights.

          1. And they call me delusional. Kaep was injured in the GB game, but he has taken some massive hits all season. He was sacked 28 times, none of those were love taps. He was leveled in the Rams game. Seahawks sacked him 6 times with many big hits. You make it sound like they are playing flag football.

          2. In TC and the preseason, Grant was reporting that Kaep was sometimes pinpoint accurate while other times he was inaccurate with the deep balls. His best game was the Viking game. Kaep was doing great in the first game. Then he got smacked down hard at the end of the game, and was not the same since. If you had read my posts, you would have seen me surmising that Kaep did not look sharp, and I speculated on CTE after the Cards game because he threw his first pass late for a pick six, then repeated his error for another pick six. Usually if a QB throws a pick six, he tries to not do the same thing again, so to me, that was not an amazing coincidence, but a red flag. Being slow and late are symptoms of CTE, and in the Rams game, tunnel vision made him miss an uncovered player. Being slowed down did not help his reading skills, and being late made his passes inaccurate. Kaep may not have had serious symptoms, but mild symptoms made him look slow and tentative. This is why I think every football players should do a brain scan before the season so a baseline can be established. Of course, the NFL is doing everything it can to downplay and ignore CTE. So he did have an injury, and his performances against 2 of the worst defenses in the league did not prove he was totally healthy.

    4. Two things that eliminate that excuse Seb:

      1) As Scooter pointed out, Kaepernick was a wayward passer well before this injury.
      2) How exactly does an injury to his non-throwing arm affect his throwing arm’s accuracy?

      1. He was not throwing the ball into the ground.
        Believe it or not torn labrums can affect the entire throwing motion.
        Finally, I think he was CTE impaired. Not too seriously, but enough to affect his play.

        1. Again, not the throwing shoulder Seb. If it was then you’d have basis.
          And when the @$!# has CTE ever been not too serious?!

          1. When the NFL is making billions off the players, they schedule Thursday Night games with 3 days rest just to make more money. They denied there was a problem for years and remain silent when players do not shoot themselves in the head so the doctors can study their brains.They are ignoring and downplaying CTE to this day.
            They used to break an ampule of ammonia under their nose and tell them to snap out of it. As in many injuries, there are different levels of severity. Some players have played with CTE, scored winning TDs, and dont remember what they did.

    5. Wrong shoulder Seb. Doubt it effects his accuracy, at least directly! Most QB simply play through an injury on their non-throwing shoulder and have surgery in the offseason.

      1. This absolutely means Kaepernick’s tenure with the 49ers is officially over.

        Good luck Kap, thanks for the 2012/13 memories.

            1. And yet he was able to play through it.

              I’m sure its not comfortable to play through, but players play hurt all the time. Kaep playing poorly can not be passed off as being due to his injury… unless you really badly need to find excuses for the guy you’ve talked up as an incredible player.

              1. Scooter, I have harshly criticized Kaep in previous posts, but you do not seem to think I have any right to praise him.
                I think many posters are kicking a player when he is down. I expected better, but I guess this crowd engages in schadenfreude.

              2. Please feel free to praise him. I’m not here to bash Kaep, he’s had some great moments as a 49ers.

                This has nothing to do with praising Kaep or not. It has everything to do with your consistent passing of blame for Kaep’s struggles quite liberally on the OL and coaches previously, and now on injury.

                I can’t say for certain you are wrong about Kaep having taken a head knock and that he’s been concussed. But its a long darn bow to be drawing. Was he concussed all last season too?

    6. Seb says…”I hope Kaep stays with the team since Tomsula likes him so much.” Brilliant, simply brilliant. What happens if Tomsula is tubed? Hmm…

      1. Baalke should be looking over his shoulder. After his drafted players get cut and start for another team, his FAs disappear and now his franchise QB has had enough and leaves because he was thrown under the bus by the FO, he should be worried about his job.
        Tomsula is staying because he was the only coach who wanted to lead the Niners. There is no competent coach in this league who would want to come to this team after they saw how JH was treated. JH had a better winning percentage than Bill Walsh, and they smeared him behind his back.
        Jed better give Tomsula a raise and beg him to stay, or they might not win 2 games next year.

  5. What a Sh*t show this has turned into. This team goes 4-12 if not 3-13.. I’m embarrassed to be a Niner fan right now. This team is the joke of the NFL! Jed York you deserve this…

  6. Pump the breaks people he is having surgery. It may been his giving Baalke and York the finger for benching him and trying to make them pay his guaranteed salary for next year.

    But what’s from stopping the 49ers from drafting a 2 offensive lineman in the 1st round and signing Calvin Johnson in the offseason and keeping Kap as the starter? Run the ball with hide and every 6th or 7th play let Kap huck a pray to Calvin or Torrey down the field!

        1. My point is clear. Writing is on the wall Kaep is gone! Calvin is not jumping from one dysfunctional organization to the next. Be realistic man.

          1. If the writing on the wall is there, then what does it say? Everyone always says that but they don’t actually have legitimate facts other than 3rd rate analyst trying to gain credibility with rash reports.

            Also The 49ers are not disfunctional, they are rebuilding after losing a lot of talent. Calvin Johnson opting out of his contract and moving from gross Detroit to beautiful San Francsico isn’t unrealistic. He and T Smith would be a perfect deep ball tandem and Megatron

            1. Niners are not dysfunctional. Lmao.. Okay bud. Keep supporting this piece of sh*t owner and we are going to be dealing with this crap for the next 10 years.. No one wants any part of this management. If you honestly believe that free agents want to play here you are sadly mistaken. The jags have a brighter future at this moment then the Niners. This is a sad time to be a Niner fan.

              1. “…keep,supporting this .. ..owner…and we’re going to be dealing with this crap for the next ten years.”
                Ummm, that’s an odd point of view. Jed’s young and is going to be around for a lot longer than 10 years, and nothing you or I say will change that. Period. Support him? No, I hope to survive him, and cling to the remote hope that he trips over his kid’s skateboard and knocks some sense into him.
                Eddie f.u. at first but got better. And then too, we didn’t hear all his whacked out stuff until later.
                Bob Kraft talked about his “maturing” as an owner over time, and made reference to how in hindsight he’d have dealt with Parcells and Pete Carroll differently.
                Anyway, we’re stuck with the Yorks. Might as well bark up a different tree.

              2. People need to stop going to games. Make a statement! Over time he will feel it. Billionaires do not like losing any kind of money. Value of the team will go down. What they have done to this team is not acceptable. Your right we are stuck with him. Does not mean we can’t support by watching on TV. I will always bleed red and gold but I will only support from home.

              3. # TV $$
                Demonstrations would be embarrassing; that’s it. The TV money allows idiots to stay rich.

              4. I agree brotha but if he has any pride he will make the necessary changes. Which would mean step aside and let football people run the organization. Until that happens this is the product we can expect. With that said I will be tuned in watching tommorow hoping to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Go Niners!

              5. OK, we’re not that far apart.
                There is a chance that Jed’s vanity might exert some pressure on him, but his Dad is likely to tell him to ignore it.
                Beyond that, fans may want to embarrass Jed out of revenge, but it’s kinda like throwing rocks at the Castle…(shrug)…

              6. By continuing to support his pockets by going to the games accomplish’s what? He believes what he has done was the best for the organization long term. What can be done other then embarrassing him as much as possible. Hopefully over time the public eats away at him and he comes to a realization that major changes are more then necessary. I’m running out of options lol!

            2. Sorry James, I may love Megatron to death, but he aint coming here. Why would he come here with no QB? Also, Baalke is too cheap and would never pay him enough. My bet is Carolina. He would team up with Cam, and they will throw a boatload of money at him.

              1. The Panthers are projected to have just over $16M in cap space for next year as things currently stand, with only 43 guys under contract. They are unlikely to have the cap room to accommodate Johnson.

              2. Megatron might take less cash to have Brady throw to him, if he is hungry for a ring. Anyways, Baalke is too cheap and cant judge talent.

            3. Dude, figure it out. It’s not rocket science. This absolutely end Kap’s tenure with the 49ers. Deal with it!

  7. According to Matty Barrows Kaep may have shoulder surgery on Tuesday. Does this mean the team is on the hook for his contract?

    1. “The injury is to Kaepernick’s non-throwing shoulder and is not believed to be serious enough to prevent him from passing a physical next year. The 49ers are off the hook from having to pay Kaepernick anything beyond this season if they cut him, as long as he’s healthy enough to pass a physical.” … Michael David Smith @ PFT

  8. My first thought. He’s trying to guarantee next year’s salary. I hope not. Nice knowing you kap.

  9. I have had labrum issues in both shoulders at different times. Clearly, my labrums were injured while doing presses movements at the gym. With QB7’s manufactured build my default position is he injured that suckered “grinding with his team mates” in the weight room v. working on drop back.

  10. call Kaepernick a punk.
    And if Alex Smith and the Chiefs
    achieve a better record this year
    (regular and post season) than the Niners,
    then call Jim Harbaw a punk as well…
    for handing Colin the keys to the car.

    I am the Super Bowl Monkey.

    1. super monkey,
      Alex has been gone for 3 years and so is Harbaugh. I know that the holiday season is tough on people like you, but I beg you, keep your therapy appointments.

      1. No, no AES. Embrace the madness, LOL!
        Take his gift. The only question is, should he now be dubbed Punk Monkey? Or Monkeypunk?

        1. Brotha,
          Either works for me. This poor soul started with something like “harbaugh in kakis” and now it’s a “super bowl monkey.”
          Honestly, I feel lousy for giving him/her any attention.

    2. Nobody missed Alex Smith. It’s a QB driven league. No game-managing QB will ever get his team into a conference championship. let alone a Super Bowl. Kaepernick got us further than Alex would have. Alex is simply too limited in terms of arm talent, to build a team around. I’d take the top 4 or 5 QB prospects in this upcoming draft, over Alex Smith, and it’s not even close.

  11. Good friend of mine who is in the national media said that while Kap was a workaholic in the weight room his film study left allot to be desired and Roman felt more handicapped with him than Alex Smith.

    1. Absolute NONSENSE. It actually had the opposite effect. Roman’s playbook expanded EXPONENTIALLY with Kap at the helm, and they should have won the Super Bowl because of it.

      The problems for the 49ers offense started the following season, after defensive coordinators had an entire offseason to work on defending him. The league adjusted, but the 49ers never countered the league’s adjustments. Part of the problem was Kap, but a lot of the problem was lack of receiving weapons and a drop off in OL play.

      The question for kap moving forward is: “Is there a SYSTEM in the NFL that fits Kap’s skill set?” If there is, they should go after Kap and plug him in., and hope he gets his confidence back. Personally, at this point, I think Colin’s skills might translate into success if a team is willing to go all in, and design their entire playbook around Kap’s unique skill set, but it’s simply too big of a risk, because he is so unique, there really aren’t any other guys fit the schemes that play to Kap’s strengths. The one exception might be Chip Kelly’s system.

  12. If Brock doesn’t lay a major egg this weekend I expect Manning to be on IR by this time next week.

  13. Here’s a question. Grant have you noticed Kaepernick avoiding the weight room recently? A guy with a fresh tear in his labrum wouldn’t be doing shoulder work or any other heavy lifting involving that arm.

    Maybe every day has been a leg day since the GB game???

  14. Trading Kaepernick? Did I predict this correctly week 3? Don’t let Rocket see this with his complaint that that sort of thinking is ludicrous and a waste of time…The NFL script isn’t hard to predict if you just take emotion out of the equation.

    1. Any trade is likely contingent on Kaepernick agreeing to a restructured contract. He can control his destiny and blow up a trade by refusing to do so, at which point he will be released. A trade is unlikely. A handshake agreement between his agent and another team before his eventual release is likely.

      Smith was one year into a three year, $24 million deal when he was traded. Kaepernick is two years into a six year, $114 million contract. The team had the leverage over Smith because of his contract. Kaepernick has the leverage over the team because of his. They didn’t have to move on from Smith from a financial standpoint, but they do from Kaep for just that reason. Teams know that. Why would they trade draft picks for a player that will have to be released for financial reasons? “The NFL script isn’t hard to predict if you just take emotion out of the equation.” I’m sure Rocket appreciates the irony.

      1. Kaep would have little incentive to blow up a trade unless the team trading for him is only willing to do the trade if he takes a significant pay reduction. He’s unlikely to get as much money as a FA as he would get from a trade.

        1. I have no idea if there is any overlap between teams that would be interested in trading for Kaepernick and teams that Colin wouldn’t want to play for. Other than that remote possibility, I don’t see him blowing up a trade if his new contract is reasonable. I’m assuming that any team trading for Kaepernick would want him to at least compete for a starting job. Seattle traded for reasonable money, and then went with Wilson.

        2. Scooter,
          I agree. I just don’t see a team willing to pay him that amount of money or trading for him knowing that the 49ers will release him. I think there would be significant interest for him as a free agent. Bruce Arians would be a good coach for Kaep in terms of coaching ability and personality. He needs to sit for a year or two and just learn.

      2. The irony is definitely not lost on me.

        I don’t recall what it is you are referring to Matt so please repost it. I don’t think it likely they are able to trade Kap, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

        1. rocket

          October 16, 2015 at 11:32 am

          Matt may I introduce you to Seb? Seb here’s somebody to talk about ridiculous trade ideas with. Have fun.

          Prior to that, I suggested Oct 3rd, Sf bench Kaepernick before he ruined his value for 2015. You called that an agenda. Yet in 2012, I called for sitting Smith in favor or Kaepernick. I stood by him for two more seasons in spite of his 2014 struggles. As Jack said, we can’t all be ahead of the curve.

          1. There is no value. Benching doesn’t equal value or save value, it signals the end of the road to the player and to other franchises. If the player is worth his contract he wouldn’t be benched. If he was worth his contract he wouldn’t be available. If he was worth his contract the Niners wouldn’t be getting rid of him. Now that we have established that the team is getting rid of him because of his play and because of his inflated contract, we can stop pretending that other teams are going to give up draft picks for the right to overpay him. There is nothing ahead of the curve about your statement. Ahead of the curve would have been making that statement three years ago when his value was astronomical. You’re just picking low hanging fruit while ignoring the realities of the situation.

            1. I don’t disagree that benching a player does little to increase their value. On face value, you’re absolutely correct. However, the situation in SF is more indepth. The argument here is that the offensive line has been offensive. Kaepernick has an injury clause in his contract. So, there is no risk to him in continuing to play. However, the organization then carries all the risk. So the value to the team is to sit him. It would be a monumental task for any QB to be successful behind this line. So, by playing Kaepernick, you’re doing nothing more than diminishing his value. He isn’t going to have the time to make deep completions. His sacks will go up. The risk of injury increases. (The backup QB is an example of what happens when you continue to put the Franchise QB in that situation.)
              You can PR spin Kaepernick’s struggles on no time. You can inflate his value by diminishing the line he plays behind. Much the same way the organization prepared the fan base for letting Harbaugh go, they could sell Kaepernick. It’s a sales tactic. Now, by continuing to play him, the team has magnified his ineptness. It was a gamble that lost.

              1. Matt,
                That was the most ridiculous post I have ever read. I had a feeling the wheels would fall off when you responded, but I didn’t think it would devolve into such utter horse sh#%. There is nothing in your post that makes sense or represents any form of rational thought. You’re tripling down at this point when you should just walk away from the table.

          2. Why don’t you repost the trade idea I criticized you for? If I told you to talk to Seb it must have been a doozy.

            Calling for the struggling starting QB to be benched is not being ahead of the curve. It is a naive fan reaction that completely discounts what is needed to make a deal happen, and the fact that the struggles of the player negate his value.

            1. Here is the thread you posted your “ahead of the curve” ideas in. You will see I’m one of a few people that criticized it, but I’m flattered you singled me out. It was pretty crazy then and nothing has changed. I won’t repost it because it’s too long, but here’s the link to the thread so everyone can enjoy your superior knowledge and forward thinking:

              http://49ers.pressdemocrat.com/geep-chryst-chris-ault-know-ive-never-met-know-comments-week/

              1. I don’t want to criticize you unfairly Rocket, so I want to make sure I understand your stance. I said a 3rd round pick for Kaepernick from Cleveland week 5 of the 2015 season was a good deal for both sides. From what I understand, your stance is that is ludicrous? Now, had the team traded him then, they would have gotten value. Instead, they went your route, he is done for the season, and has absolutely zero value to the team.
                I still say that seeing he had perceived value is worth more than realizing he has no value. That is what I meant by being ahead of the curve. Trading players while they are still worth something is how you stay competitive. The team knew in the preseason that they did not have the line to keep their QB healthy. If you think long term, Offensive lines are not built in a week or a single draft.
                As such, their “franchise QB” was of no value to them short or long term. It would have been better to trade him for value then and there. Instead, it is my opinion they bet on Kaepernick increasing his worth. If he really was the “franchise QB” why would the team sign him to the deal they did? It did not show confidence in his ability or growth.
                So, it is my opinion that the team should have traded him when I suggested it. While you can argue your opinion, the fact remains, had they traded him, they would have actually received something in return. Their current situation gives the team nothing in return and it was thus a mistake to not trade him.
                I did not mean anything more than a playful jab at you and if you took offense, then I didn’t explain the jab correctly. My apologies.

              2. Matt,

                It was your draft day trade scenarios everyone was questioning; not the proposed Kap trade.

                Saying a player needs to be traded due to being frustrated with his performance is not being ahead of the curve. It is what many fans suggest due to exasperation with the status quo. If you read the link Cubus posted above it explains why these trade scenarios don’t work out. Teams don’t want to part with picks and take on a big salary for a struggling player in the middle of a season. Doesn’t mean Kap can’t be traded, but a number of things have to line up for it to happen.

                I was not offended so don’t worry about it.

    2. Favorite post from Matt was the time he got pissed and told me to meet him at the firehouse and included the address.

      Priceless…..

      1. Lmao! I actually remember that one! Matt’s a badass without a mission. I could see him putting shoe polish on his face and hiding in the bushes, just waiting to administer his brand of justice on a pack of ding song ditching 10 year olds. Matt wonders why he isn’t the fire chief.

      2. Yeah, unfortunately, that was one of my younger moments. I certainly wish I had used a little more maturity there, but at least I can laugh at it now. Life is much too short to get offended that much by the opinions of anyone. Thanks for the reminder and the measuring stick. 

        1. Matt,
          I hear you on that, man. It was funny, but we all have our moments. I’m sure your a good dude. The fact that you can laugh about that moment leads me to believe you are. My dad is a retired Fire Chief, so I do appreciate your service and wish you the best in your career.

  15. Best way to make sure Kaep is right to be released or traded in the offseason is to shut him down and let him have the surgery now. If the surgery was left until the end of the year he probably would not be able to pass a physical come the start of FA.

    This is the end of Kaep as a 49er. The Gabbert ‘era’ (error?) has begun.

    1. Truly. There should be no problem with Colin passing a physical by next April Fool’s day. The cauldron will continue to bubble never the less.

    2. Scooter,
      You may be right.
      Sadly, CK7 will become a cautionary tale in the annals of 49ers lore – right along side Jim Harbaugh. The quick rise to success and subsequent fall is unfortunate. I always tried to stay positive and root for the kid who played at a high school (Pittman High, Turlock) a couple of miles away from me and for awhile CK looked like the answer. Man, how quickly have the times changed.

      Jim Harbaugh has landed on his feet in Ann Arbor and hopefully Kaep gets his groove back somewhere else.

      When all the dust settles it’s all about the team. And now there seems to be a new chapter in 49er country, and that new story begins with a new (yet, old) character named Blain Gabbert.
      Let’s go Gabby!

    3. Correct Scooter. Lost among the paranoia and conspiracy entries above is the simple explanation that waiting to do the surgery doesn’t benefit either side. If the team has any hope of trading him, waiting until after the season for surgery doesn’t help that prospect, nor do they want to risk further injury that could affect his contract terms.

      From Kap’s perspective, he wants to be 100% so his value is higher in FA if he’s released as expected.

    4. “The Gabbert ‘era’ has begun.”

      WOOOOHOOOO! It’s about time.

      ALL ABOARD THE BLAINE TRAIN! Toot Toot

      1. Hammer,
        I’ll withhold my giddiness over Blain until after a few wins. But a win today will certainly set excitement n motion bud.

  16. It’s time to move on from Kap, just as we did with Smith.
    Also, it’s possible to play with an injury to your non-throwing side, Romo has done so in Dallas…
    Kap lovers will always have a hard time acknowledging that he just was not accurate. It would have been great to see what a real offensive passing mind could have done with Kap, but he was always going to be a project because of the offense he grew up in–The Read Option…Going through progressions is a learning experience…Good Luck, though, Kap.

    1. Also Kap fans will remember that Baalke always drafts the “best player available.” He’s always said that is the organizations philosophy.
      Baalke would have a disagreement on that front from the great Bill Walsh, as the best quarterbacking athlete available in 1985 was Randall Cunningham. Walsh, however, and to Seb’s dismay, chose Jerry Rice, out of a lower division school.

    2. I wish Baalke could find a Hall of Famer from a lower division school. Perhaps that Bemidji Tight End from his Alma Mater might become one.

  17. Looks like the 49ers will save $875K in roster bonuses this season by putting Kaep to IR. I assume this unused cap space will get carried over to the cap next year.

  18. Too much posing, not enough performing takes Kaep out of equation. Many writers and football experts predicted Kaep’s demise.

  19. Sorry to hear he’s injured and wish him well in his next adventure. On behalf of myself and my family, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for his effort and contributions to several great victories as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback….

    1. Razor,
      You are a class act my friend. Thanks for an appropo perspective – I second your thoughts.

    1. I remember that hit by Clay, and thought to myself that he was still out to destroy Kaeptonite ever since his failure to do so with his late “Superman” hit out of bounds in 2013….

    2. First the Colts don’t disclose a QB’s injury, and now it appears the 49ers have done the same. Expect some changes to come about thanks to these two dumb franchises.

        1. I didn’t say they were the only ones Scooter, but they are the two that have been caught doing so.

          1. No, you didn’t. But you called them dumb franchises. What makes them dumb?

            Not being 100% truthful with the injury report is pretty common around the NFL. And its actually done to protect the players by not letting the opponent know exactly how badly or what exactly the injury is.

            From the sounds of it, the 49ers doctors didn’t diagnose it as a torn labrum initially (though how true that is I don’t know and suspect some shenanigans afoot). If every team listed every bump and scrape, every injury list would include all 53 players each week.

            1. Rivera is the only NFL coach that I can think of that does not engage in any deception when it comes to injuries….

            2. From a powerpoint I posted on injuries back in April: In 2013 the average number of times that all teams, except the Patriots, listed a player as questionable was 32. New England listed players as questionable 113 times. However, 70% of those players listed as questionable prior to a game actually played in the game. It’s clear that Belichick tries to gain a competitive edge by being less than truthful about injuries.

              Per Football Outsiders:

              Probable – high probability that player will play.
              Questionable – typically a 50/50 proposition.
              Doubtful – typically low probability (<10%) that a player will play.

              1. Cube-
                You’ve become one of this blog’s better posters, and you’ve done it the old fashioned way; you earned it.
                As my Southern friends say: I appreciate you. Keep it coming.

              2. Wow, no. I’ve never had a beef with you or your views. I consider you to be thoughtful, and your perspectives interesting. I’m a intuitive guy, I enjoy the math side presentations to compliment my WAGs. Like JPN brings his expertise and perspectives, we each bring something.

              3. Sorry, BT. I was mostly kidding. I should have LOL’d.

                Not to do too much of the “mutual admiration society” thing, I’ve always appreciated your posts – your ability to see multiple view points and maintain a good perspective on issues even though fans are exactly that “fanatical”. Also, you are skilled at bringing in just the right amount of historical perspective to an issue. I think others agree with me as your absence a little while back was noticed by many.

              4. seb:

                You’ve never done anything to me. But if you don’t mind my saying it seems that sometimes you purposefully just try to irritate people. Because of this horrid season we’re all more irritable than usual. Take this post for what it’s worth. Thanks for listening.

              5. Cubus, I hear ya. Sometimes I argue for arguments sake. Will try to keep it lighter and less combative.

          2. All of what you say is true Scooter, but the Colts and 49ers are the only ones that have been caught doing so, and that alone makes them dumb…especially in this age where player safety is a hot button topic.

            1. I’d be surprised if the 49ers get punished by the league like the Ravens did with Ed Reed a couple of seasons ago, as it sounds like they’ve already made their excuses about the doctors at Stanford not initially diagnosing it as a torn labrum.

              1. Evidently there was no MRI done until this week. Once Kaepernick got an MRI both sides had a strong reason to want to do the surgery as soon as possible. All it did was make it easier to finish the “management plan” that was already in motion. No matter who suggested it first, the other side would have agreed.

              2. All good points Scooter, but it still wouldn’t surprise me if the league tries to do so.

        1. Can you give the reason why you cane to that conclusion Reasons, or is this another one of your ‘I need to eat crow again’ moments?

  20. This is too weird. He plays for 4 games, and then gets benched now he has season ending IR?

    I wish him well.

    1. So Fan what do you think of this scenario. Kaep does have an injury. He could have played through it. Management or someone urges him to get it worked on now so he’s ready for the April physical. It also prevents any backlash/controversy no matter how badly BG plays the next two games. It saves JT from bumbling through another decision and commits the team to a different direction. Management works hard to get Kaep healed, and sets him up for his next team next year?

  21. Scooter-
    Have you been pasturing your steed amongst the magic mushrooms and Jimsom Weed? Just how did your horse get so high? The folks at PETA are expressing their concern!
    Furthermore, the National Safety Council urges that neither the horse nor the rider should be impaired, so as Seb says: Get off your high horse Buster!

        1. We need a little levity at the moment. This whole season has been a Groundhog Day of train wrecks.;p

  22. He isn’t injured. He just moped around and made an ass of himself so they dumped him on IR. Now get out of the locker room and go play with your turtle..

    1. What’s your take on Booker Razor? With him being injured, do you expect to be on Baalke’s hot list?

      1. Probably, but I’d target Josh Ferguson instead. What’s your take on the Stanford OG, Garnett?

        1. Razor:

          What do you think of McCaffrey? Do you think he could be relevant at the next level? Probably not as a RB, but maybe as a Wes Welker type WR.

        2. I need to take a closer look at him Razor. I’ll let you know what I see.

  23. Harbaugh seems to have a real ability to take mediocre QBs and get the best out of them. AS, CK and now Jake Rudock (I didn’t really follow San Diego State or even Stanford). Then he puts a major emphasis on defense by hiring the best DC he can find. That combo seems to result in turnaround seasons and subsequently very good teams. I’m sure Michigan thinks he is worth every penny of the $8 million per year he’s getting.

    1. Harbaugh wasn’t at San Diego State University or The University of California at San Diego. They at least have a scholarship football program. He was at a small private school with no scholarships for athletics – San Diego University.

        1. I once called University of San Diego about a campus visit for our youngest. I intended to call UC San Diego. If I hadn’t ask one more question, my son and I would have wound up wandering around UC San Diego’s campus looking for a building that was on a very different campus.

          1. USD is a Catholic school like USF and St. Mary’s. The alums I know enjoyed their experience.

          2. I’m sure our son would have too except that he was looking for a Mechanical Engineering school which turned out to be Berkeley.

    1. The more I see of Goff, the more I am liking him. He looks the top QB likely to be available in the next draft.

      1. Works for me, let someone else make that mistake and get him off the board before we do.

      2. Glad you guys see it too. His accuracy and poise from the pocket are clearly the best of the QB’s likely to declare for the draft. He needs to add some muscle to his frame to hold up, but he’s got the intangibles already in place.

        1. Yep. The “muscle” part is my main concern and has caused me to look at Paxton Lynch as well. But, IMO, Goff is the best pocket passer. There were a couple of times in tonight’s game where I marveled at his ability to subtly move within the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield.

          1. “I marveled at his ability to subtly move within the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield.”

            That’s actually one of the things I most like about him. His footwork in the pocket is top notch the majority of the time. And he does a great job using quick shuffle steps to manouvre in the pocket and reset his blockers between himself and the pass rush without dropping his eyes.

            I also really like how he shows that knack for throwing guys open, anticipating the break before it happens. Something us 49er fans haven’t seen for a while from our QBs…

            1. I think Goff is all those things but against a young inexperienced Stanford defensive backfield he couldn’t get into the end zone more than once when it counted. That one time was a great throw under pressure.

              On his last touchdown his receiver made a great play to get back to an under thrown ball when Goff had no pressure and the game was over. A little earlier, when it was meaningful, Goff threw behind and over the head of an open receiver at the goal line. Earlier in the game he threw one into the grass at the corner of the end zone.

              He has a lot of talent but will need to grow into it something like Rogers did. A team like the 49ers could turn him into someone with the problems that Alex Smith developed.

              Stanford’s left guard looked good to me – especially on their last drive. It was a classic Harbaugh/Shaw “game over” drive.

              1. Yep, he’s also got some flaws. Some of his throws and decisions this season have been very poor. And never good to see your QB miss fairly easy throws at important times (moment too big for him?).

                None of the QBs in this draft are perfect. But:
                – Goff has the physical tools – good arm, good height, decent athlete
                – The things Goff does very well are things I believe are very important for a successful QB and are hard to teach (i.e. pocket presence, anticipation)
                – With his flaws he also has shown positives in the same areas (i.e. he far more often makes good decisions and throws than bad ones).

              2. Goff is not the answer. He will get chewed up and spit out if the Niner O line is not upgraded. He showed that if his defense cannot make stops, he cannot make up for their deficiencies. Just like Kaep and the Niners. The Niners need an O lineman and a pass rusher, or a young Joe Montana himself could not succeed.
                I like Goff and his poise in the pocket, but the Niners have no pocket. Kaep was sacked 52 times last year and 28 in half this season. Kaep was injured because Mathews ran through a gap Devey was supposed to defend and hit Kaep untouched. I really fear for Gabbert’s safety.

      3. That’s all we need, another QB that can’t score in the Red Zone ;)

        /ducks objects being thrown his direction.

        1. The problem with getting Goff is that the 49ers are like the movie Major League where the ownership and GM try to tank the season but players and coach try to prove them wrong,we will probably win ourselves out of a good draft pick.

  24. I wish CK all the best on a new team, and i hope if we dont draft Goff that we at least go for a Wentz or Kiel

    1. I dont read TK, but I totally agree that Kaep was terribly mismanaged, had poor coaching that never accentuated his strengths, and a turnstile O line that succeeded to let him be injured.

  25. What happens if Gabbert gets hurt in Seattle. Given the poor OL play it is quite possible. From what I am hearing 49ers will be playing to not lose “Too Badly” to keep Tomsula’s job safe

    1. According to Kawakami, the top down priority of the 49er organization is to lose without gross embarrassment which is why they punted when there was a slim chance to win if they went on fourth down near the end of the game.

  26. I’ll tell my dad about you guys on this blog. Some really good assistant GM talent here! Mind if my dad joins the blog and wants to interview some of you?

    1. Sorry, your dad will be hitting the unemployment line in a few weeks. He should be perusing the Jobs section on Craigslist, and not wasting our time.

    2. Baalke signed up for Twitter on Jan 16. His last tweet was on Jan 21, 2015:

      “Trent Baalke ‏@TrentGM49ers Jan 21
      I was going to have a fan q and a of #asktrent on here but looks as if I don’t have enough followers”

      I don’t think he would have that problem now.

    3. Well, to be honest, he’s thinking about returning to Northern Minnesota and opening a tire store–and maybe a bait shop next door.

    1. The niners looking to trade CK? Report comes from the national media?

      Your can take it to the bank.

    2. You get what you pay for. Jed is trying to go cheap, and he gets cheap results.
      Jed went cheap on the coaching staff, and they are so clueless, they cannot design a play that has a man in motion. The FO is so stupid, they cut Hayne, and the next game the RBs gain 15 yards on 10 carries. They bring in a RB from the street, the coaches declare he has total command of the playbook, and he whiffs on two thirds of his blocks.
      If Jed took Marathe’s opinion over Walsh, he deserves exactly what has happened to him.

  27. How well does Gabbert have to play for the team to feel like they don’t need to use their first round pick on a QB?

    Next question, what the hell is the team going to do if Gabbert get’s hurt in this game? Thompson was only just called up from the p/s this past Friday. How can the team expect to function in and against Seattle with a practice squad QB with zero days prep for the game? Clearly the team felt comfortable enough with Dylan to let Colin and his bruised vagina go on IR two days before a game but still, it doesn’t leave one with a lot of confidence if something does happen to Blaine in this game. Especially if it happened early.

    1. If BG gets hurt it probably means the OL failed him and will likely fail whoever else is back there. So, does it matter this year?

      1. Well I wouldn’t agree that the first part is necessarily true but my question to you is how different do you expect the offensive line to be next year. How many new faces do you expect to see, where are they coming from and how do you know they’ll be any better?

        1. I don’t know that anyone will be better. I do feel like I can forecast change.
          Boone may get away, but can Trent afford that to happen from a talent aspect? I thought Boone was an obvious goner, but not entirely sure now.
          A Davis either returns or has trade value for a replacement.
          Staley returns.
          Does it matter much who they plug in at RG? Can’t be much worse, even with young guys.
          Hopefully Kilgore beats out Martin.
          There’s just no fix for this year, and Trent & Co. showed they knew it when they signed Devey.
          Staley-Boone-Kilgore- ?-AD should be better. If Boone leaves it’s harder to fill 2 spots.
          One or two FAs and Day#2 and #3 choices. Baalke has used FA to fill immediate needs in his tenure, so we’ll see.
          Gotta do something.

          1. I don’t know that anyone will be better.
            ————-
            Then I guess given your original statement on the subject they’re better off with no QB. Just hike it to the RB, since the oline is such garbage why bother with a passing attack anymore.

            1. Yeah, that’s about right. Activate Hayne as a Single Wing tailback.
              More seriously, if the OL can give Blaine any time to show what he’s got, then assessments can be made and he and the offense can lay some groundwork for next year, although they’ll likely have a new OC. If they can’t protect him enough to keep him healthy then who would be able to function back there? If the answer is nobody, then it doesn’t matter.
              Which FA QB who doesn’t know the offense would you sign as a backup?

            2. OK, so that would be one game and push the issue back by a week. Admittedly a week against a good pass rush.
              Without me knowing truth or details, Sheftner was reporting today growing animosity between CK and the org. Perhaps that effected how this played out

              1. They don’t treat people well. Colin is smart. He’s taking the leverage away from the team. If Gabbert were injured and Kaep had to play again, how would he benefit? If he played well, the team could string him along for another year or trade him to a team that he wants nothing to do with. He’s going to force their hand to release him and make sure they don’t get any value from a trade. The Niners know this so they put him on IR.

                “According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, at least three teams called the 49ers about a possible trade before the deadline, but none were able to or prepared to take on Kaepernick’s $12.4 million salary.”

                Like I have said many times, there will be significant interest for his services, but no one is trading for him at his current salary and he isn’t taking a pay cut to facilitate a trade that will benefit the franchise. He will be released and sign elsewhere as a FA.

              2. “Sheftner was reporting today growing animosity between CK and the org.”

                I wonder if a good portion of that animosity has to do with CK thinking that his team-friendly contract would allow for others to be signed. Maybe he feels the FO lied to him. OTOH, who should they have kept that they could keep? Is he upset about Vernon?

            3. c4c

              Damn !! …the sky’s falling again…Kaep is gone…no need to cry about it …I’d be happier with Marcus Martin at QB than Have Kaep back…Remember, I’m an Alex Smith guy…If three teams did indeed call about Kaepernick, it’s just living proof that the niners team with a brain-dead FO….

              1. Damn !! …the sky’s falling again…Kaep is gone…no need to cry about it
                —————
                No idea what you’re talking about.

              2. “I’d be happier with Marcus Martin at QB than Have Kaep back…Remember, I’m an Alex Smith guy…”

                That’s why nobody listens to your rants. They lack intelligent thought. Your only contribution to this blog is piggybacking other people’s comments with some lame quip when you see them as critical to Kaepernick. Nobody cares about Smith because he isn’t a good QB. Neither is Kaep, which is why his tenure is coming to an end. Kaep has a 4-2 playoff record. Smith has a 1-2 playoff record. SMH.

  28. What’s the going rate for the niners tickets about now? For some of you regular attendees what would you guesstimate the price for tickets next year may be? May try to stop though for my honeymoon.

  29. Big P
    \

    How do you know if no one ‘listens’ to my rants, unless you were ‘listening’…? For someone who can critique intelligent thought, you certainly seem to be aware of what I’m posting. Piggybacking…?…again a case of the pot calling the kettle black…I DO read your posts, and to this point have not attributed AN original thought to you. What a DUNCE !!… Feel free to carry Kaep’s and Alex’ playoff records around with you to the grave…count their Lombardi’s…SMH…indeed….

    1. Oregon,
      Looks like I hit a nerve. I am aware of what you post because you post the same stupid thing all of the time. You’re a Kaep hater and you’re just as annoying as the Smith haters that came before you. It’s like a holy war for morons. The rest of us just want the team to win and part of that is stabilizing the QB position. I understand why they moved on from Smith and I understand why they are moving on from Kaep. You said you were a Smith guy and in doing so chose your side in the holy war for morons. SMH.

      1. What a playground response…I did expect better from you…No, you didn’t hit a nerve…I do resent being labeled a ‘hater’ , especially by a hypocrite ‘hater’ such as yourself.. I don’t ‘hate’ anyone…especially .Kaep who was, IMO a person who now appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you would have opened your eyes, you would have seen his flaws and been pushing for the same thing that I and many others did …replace him.. I like your Holy war for morons…I guess that I’m a moron on one side, and you are the moron on the other SMH

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