This article has 152 Comments

  1. Since it’s an extension to the existing contract, does the 6 year/$126 mil comes out to more like $18 mil a year over 7 years.

    1. it doesn’t matter. when looking at NFL contracts…usually you only look at the first 3 or so years of money. after that it’s usually up for debate as to when it’ll be renegotiated for more guaranteed money at a reduced rate….so the year per average may go down but the guarantees increase over time.

      1. It’s a 6 year extension taking him through 2020. So in other words, he’s tied to the Niners for the next 7 years and the new deal will average about 18.5 per over the 6 new years. The structure of it hasn’t been released and the report from Schefter is 6 years and over 110 mill, so we have to see how much over it is and what the factors are for him to make more.

        It’s the deal I expected, in fact I expected it to cost more quite frankly. He is going to make what he should given what he’s accomplished so far. He’s going to average a few hundred thousand more than Cutler which I’m guessing was the contract his camp focused on as a starting point.

        All done. Now we can read the predictions of doom from the naysayers until the season starts.

        1. Good point rocket – my maths was out. It isn’t $21M a year. Even if it pays the full $126M, it will be spread out over 7 years, not 6.

          An average of $18.5M a year is much more in line with what I was expecting.

          1. Yep. Another way to look at is this:

            Cutler signed a 7 year deal worth 126.7 million.

            Kap just signed a 6 year extension, making his total length of time here 7 years, for a maximum of 126 mill. If you add the approx. 1 mill he’s due to make this season, it becomes 7 years and about 127 mill. You can see exactly what they were doing in the negotiations. It will be interesting to see what the escalator clauses are in the deal to potentially take it to max value.

            1. Yeah, I feel a bit better about the deal at $18M a year average. Still don’t think it was necessary, but it was at market rate, not above market rate like I first thought.

  2. If Kaep didn’t improve much..as it is, he’s probably worth close to $18M/Year on the open market. Irrational people are fixated on the elite QBs and their compensation. They don’t take into account that there is a tier of QB’s below them that are still pretty good that will get paid a PREMIUM (that means being paid more than if we simplistically ranked QB’s and paid them accordingly) for being available.

    the devil is in the details. I’m curious about how it’s structured. How much is signing bonus (the real guarantee). How much of it is roster bonuses (which aren’t guaranteed until that year comes around)…and how much of it is inflated salary at the back end that will be used to renegotiate int he future for more guaranteed money.

  3. I am not happy that he will eat up that much salary cap, not happy he wears dolphins gear, not happy he struggles with accuracy and reading D’s. Not happy in the Red Zone! I am happy Harbaugh believes in him! I am happy we have a relevant Quaterback that is super flashy and amazing speed. Is he Elway? no. Montana? No. Cunningham? Maybe young? who knows? But we do have some one that can move the ball! I will still be tuned in on most games to see what happens! I hope this is the year of the “Break out” and not ‘Break Down!” Thanks for update Grant!

  4. Not shocked by the overall contract price and length. The $61M guaranteed is the most surprising part. Baalke usually negotiates contracts that make splashy headlines but are high on incentives and front/backloading, low on guaranteed money.

    I guess it comes down to assessment. Baalke/Harbaugh think its likely Colin will improve his pocket skills and vision.

    1. depends on the type of guarantee. I guarantee that $61M isn’t all signing bonus. Remember roster bonuses only go hard at the beginning of a new season.

      1. None of the guaranteed money will be roster bonuses, or workout bonuses. It will only be signing bonus and salary.

        A roster bonus is defunct if it is guaranteed. Makes no sense to guarantee it – if you cut them you still have to pay it, so there is no bonus to making the roster. A workout bonus is the same.

    2. There’s “guaranteed” money and then there’s guaranteed money…..

    3. Brodie,

      The guarantee is how they kept the overall contract number down. Kap gives up a couple of mill a year for more guaranteed money.

  5. It’s a free market. He gets what the market bears. Good for him and his family.

    Now lets get back to improving as an NFL QB and figuring out a way to get over the hump.

  6. This makes it moot to evaluate Kaep’s performance going forward. The only reason to have these debates is if something can be done about the issue.

    1. why? you think the Niners are actually financially locked into Kaepernick until 2020?

  7. $61M guaranteed means he better stay healthy. I wonder if hiring Dr. Fergus Connolly away from Europe has anything to do with Colin’s signing. Keeping the Turlock Tornado healthy has to be a high priority.

      1. Love it. Dr. Connolly’s a respected Irish sports scientist, but no nerd. He got suspended for a week because he got in a duke-out with a staff member (and friend) when he worked with the Welsh Six Nations rugby team. Headbutting was allegedly involved.

        Over there it’s not that big a deal, and all parties quickly resumed their friendships. Lads get into a dust-up once in a while. He’ll fit in nicely with Fang, Tomsula and Rathman.

  8. I love it! Tony “choker” Romo got a six-year, $108 million contract extension with $55 million in guarantees and a $25 million signing bonus. And he absolutely SUCKS!!
    The way the QB money is climbing each year, this deal for Kap may look like a bargain in a few years……..Way to dig deep into those swollen pockets York! Quest for six, seven or eight baby!! :)
    I’m headed to Albertsons to pick up some bubbly!

    1. Romo is a whole lot better than the way you’re acting. Check the stats instead of parroting what other morons say.

    2. Crab,
      Bubbly at Albertsons? Someone on here was pimping Trader Joe’s the other day. I don’t drink, but It’s almost Friday bud and I can’t wait for the weekend.

    3. Crab
      Life’s too short for cheap bubbles!
      I don’t know what Albie’s carries, but step up to:
      Mumms-Roederer-J-Gloria Ferrer-Domaine Carneros-Domaine Chandon. Salute!

    1. My guess is the signing bonus will be in the range of $35-$42M, but we’ll know the cap hits soon.

      1. Flacco got a $29M signing bonus. I’d guess Kaepernick’s to be in the $32-$35M range.

        If it’s $35M over 7 years, that would be a commitment of $5M per year. That ties him to the team at least until 2018 without to great of a penalty.

        1. The signing bonus only can be spread out over the first 5 years. The 49ers currently have about $9M in cap space and like to save about $1-2M for the season. A $35M bonus would leave them around $2M this season, and a $42M bonus would leave them around $1M this season.

          I went in circles with you on this a couple months ago. You really should try to learn the rules a bit.

          1. too my knowledge pro-ration of singing bonuses can not extend beyond 2 years of end of the current CBA. which is in 2021?

            I was just throwing out simple pro-ration numbers…jeeze…thought you had a gotcha moment?

              1. I was misinformed by this source.

                ask the commish

                Question 1.7e
                That’s cheating! How can you have a real salary cap if all you have to do is give a player a signing bonus to get around it?

                Answer: Now we come to the tricky part. The signing bonus IS part of the player’s salary. So it counts against the cap. When determining team and player salary, the signing bonus will be prorated over the length of the contract.

                For example, if a player signs a four-year deal with a $1 million signing bonus, $250,000 of that bonus will count toward team salary for each contract year ($1 million divided evenly over the four-year contract is $250,000 per year). If a team releases a player, the unamoratized bonus money (the remaining prorated bonus money) counts immediately against the cap.

                In our example above, if the player is released after Year 1, the remaining $750,000 (the prorated signing bonus money for years 2-4) counts against the cap in Year 2 — even though the player is no longer on the team’s roster.

                The proration of the signing bonus cannot extend beyond two years after the close of the existing CBA.

                An expression that was thrown about repeatedly during the various labor meetings is “cash over cap”. Well, these signing bonuses are what insiders were talking about, when they brought up that term. One of the things that held up negotiations amongst the owners with the last CBA extension (both back in 2006 and in 2011) was the move to place some kind of cap on the amount of signing bonus money that could be pushed into future years for cap accounting purposes. Although there was no cap on signing bonuses, there was a limit put in place that signing bonuses could only be prorated for up to five (5) years. With the latest CBA, that five-year figure remains unchanged.

            1. CBA, Article 16, Section 6, Paragraph 5: Proration: The total amount of any signing bonus shall be prorated over the term of the Player Contract (on a straight-line basis, unless subject to acceleration or some other treatment as provided in this Agreement), with a maximum proration of five years, in determining Team Salary and Salary.

              ya got me….so five years it is.

    1. I’m a big Vernon fan, but he signed a front loaded deal years ago. He’s been paid quite well.

      His initial contract was before the rookie salary cap so that contract . That contract was probably pretty good too.

      Vernon’s been paid. Time to nail down players like Boone to.

    2. IMO, I doubt you will ever see that. Based on the comparables, he is not underpaid. If so, it’s not by much. I don’t see them giving an inch.

      A greater concern for me is the Boone situation.

    3. KY49er,

      Vernon isn’t going to get anything more, at least this year anyway, unless he’s willing to take less on the extension than he’s making now.

      He’s signed for two more years and is the 3rd highest paid TE in the league. Any new contract will begin when he’s 32 years old. He doesn’t have a leg to stand on as far as demanding a new deal.

  9. HOFER…. . I told you : ) buahahahahah. Richest contract in Niner history.

    1. Bay, most of us knew this was coming except for those typical tards that still haven’t let the Alex smith situation go. Not only will he show how elite he is but he will be the most dangerous player in the game! Big day boys….

  10. I’m good with this… As AFFP indicated I am really curious as to how the first 3-4 years breaksdown….I think Flacco’s 1st year was around 5-6 mil and that ballooned to 12 his second year, but I could be wrong.

    The guaranteed is high, but knowing Baalke and Paarage the cap hit is low the 1st couple of years. This is just a testament to howmuch they love this kid and how much they believe he will improve. I agree, but he better prove us right.

    1. Given it is $61M guaranteed, it would seem pretty safe to assume that the $61M is probably over the first 3-4 years (likely 4 years). If we assume around $25M – $30M in signing bonus, close to minimum salary in 2014, then around $30M – $35M spread over 2015 to 2017, would be my guess. That would leave $65M spread over the last 3 years of the deal.

    2. The guarantee is the price of inflation. The Bears guaranteed Cutler 54 mill in the first 3 years.

      I understand the angst some have over the amount of money, but that is the cost of paying QB’s in the NFL. They weren’t going to get Kap for anything less than this and they really got him for less than he would have commanded on the open market next year imo.

  11. The Seahawks had better have their cap situation ready for next year. Baring a complete implosion by Wilson, he’s a high performing QB with a Super Bowl ring likely get significantly more money than Kaepernick next year.

    The 2011 CBA prevents teams from renegotiating rookie contracts until the start of their final year. It prevent teams from doing what the Niners did with Staley back in 2009 by extending him only 2 years into his rookie contract (a very good far sighted move by the Niners). I’d imagine that if this new restriction on rookie contracts didn’t exist the Niners would have tried to extend Kaepernick’s contract back in 2012 or in 2013 and would have saved a huge chunk of change/cap. Same goes for Wilson and the Seahawks.

  12. Do I like the contract extension? No, I don’t think there was any need to pay Kaep $21M per year until the end of the season. Everyone that said we’d be able to sign him now for less than what it would take to sign him next offseason, he’s being paid like a top line QB – would the market have changed that significantly at the end of the season, even if he has a great year?

    And if he doesn’t improve, that is simply too bad now. 49ers are now wedded to a QB that has been a starter for just 1 and a 1/2 seasons…

    Now, do I think he can live up to that contract? Yes, I do. I think he is very talented and has the potential to be one of the greats. But this is a big risk the 49ers are taking, and one they didn’t really need to make at this point in time. Heck, if they didn’t want to wait until the end of the season, they could have waited until half way through the season to see how he is going before making this deal. No discount was given by Kaep.

    1. no, he’s not being paid like a “top line QB”. most people just don’t understand or accept that $15-$20M is about what an above average starter (no in his rookie contract) is going to command. take the top QB’s salaries and then about $2M-$3M per year from the time they signed their contract to get their present value. I think Brees and Manning are close to $30M.

      and yes, Kaepernick would be even more expensive to sign later in the season or in the off season (before free agency began).

      1. It isn’t $15M to $20M. It is $21M. He is now one of the top 5 paid QBs in the NFL. So yes, he is being paid like a top line QB.

        1. you’re not reading my posts above….

          it (yearly average) doesn’t matter. when looking at NFL contracts…usually you only look at the first 3 or so years of money. after that it’s usually up for debate as to when it’ll be renegotiated for more guaranteed money at a reduced rate….so the year per average may go down but the guarantees increase over time.

          you don’t think this contract will see year 5 or 6 do you?

          1. Yes, I realise that mate. But that is how contracts work and they fit them under the cap. You can backload contracts for younger players, can’t do it for older players. Forget what his cap hit is this year, what is he getting paid? $61M guaranteed, probably over the first 3-4 years, and a large part of that will be signing bonus. This is a top line QB deal, no matter which way you slice it.

            1. look up the term “rolling bonus” and NFL. Brady has been exchanging salary and cap space for more guarantee money for years. it’s why his average yearly money is lower than what you would think it would be. Rothlisberger has done the same for years too. Kaep will be no different. It’s all about a new and bigger signing bonus.

              1. What is your point here affp? I fully understand the idea of converting salary to signing bonus to move cap hits to future years. How does this impact anything? Yes, I imagine that come year 4 or 5 of this deal that is exactly what will happen with Kaep, too. Just goes to show you actually do believe he will get paid the full value of the latter years of this contract, one way or another.

              2. it means that $21M per year number is almost irrelevant. and that the Kaepernick’s value (as is most NFL players) is constantly in flux. the true value of the contract won’t be known until we see the details and what it pays out in the next 3-4 years.

          1. As a diehard 49er fan, and knowing your feelings regarding Kaepernick, I presume you’re pretty upset Jack Hammer….

              1. If Kaepernick proves you wrong, and reaches his potential, the “window” will be open every Sunday…..maybe Monday….sometimes Thursdays….every now and then on Saturday……

              2. What’s the point of linking to your article? Are you saying the 9ers made a mistake by signing Kaepernick because he’s more like Mark Sanchez than Aaron Rodgers? Are you saying the 9ers should move on from Kaepernick? Are you saying the 9ers should have lowballed Kaepernick because he hasn’t won the big one yet? What is your conclusion?

              3. “What is your conclusion?”

                The 49ers now have a 1-2 year window to win a Super Bowl.

              4. your equating of Kaepernick to Sanchez is faulty. Just compare their passing numbers. Yes, both were backed up by top defenses. But at times Kaepernick has been able to step up and carry the load for some games. No the offense doesn’t sit entirely on his shoulders, it’s a run first offense. And no he hasn’t stepped up every time when needed. But Sanchez looks like a pedestrian passer and overall QB compared to Kaepernick.

                But you’re right, there is a window unless some of the younger players develop. Because right now they still lean heavily on players like Justin Smith, Willis (who is no longer a spring chicken), Bethea (who know if he’ll even work out), McDonald (who seems to be fading) and Brooks (who is in his prime but very close to aging past it). The good news is that Reid developed in a key position. Aldon is young but who knows if and how often he’ll be available. They really need some youth to develop in the front seven.

              5. “your equating of Kaepernick to Sanchez is faulty. Just compare their passing numbers.”

                Sanchez has better postseason passing numbers than Kaepernick.

              6. in what way?

                Sanchez has been in a career remedial tail spin since 2010.

              7. “The 49ers now have a 1-2 year window to win a Super Bowl.”

                And you believe this because they will have less money to sign depth?

                Also, in your opinion, what is the window if they don’t sign Kaepernick?

              8. Career postseason passing numbers:

                Mark Sanchez record 4-2, comp 66.7%, rating 94.3, 1,155 yards, 7.36 yards per attempt, 9TD, 3Int

                Colin Kaepernick record 4-2, comp 66.7%, rating 87.3, 1,374 yards, 8.48 yards per attempt, 7TD, 5Int

              9. The overall numbers aren’t comparable between Kap and Sanchez, neither are the wins. Sanchez was a bottom 3rd of the league QB every season and turned the ball over at an alarming rate. He played some good playoff games which is about the only positive thing you can say about Sanchez.

                The window for winning a Championship is based on how well the team drafts going forward and the health of key contributors. Much the same as it is for every team.

              10. “He played some good playoff games which is about the only positive thing you can say about Sanchez.”

                And that’s all that I stated in my piece. I didn’t go into his overall numbers. There was no need. They are irrelevant. When he had a very good defense behind him he won games. When that went away in 2011 so did the wins.

              11. He didn’t have the wins thought Jack. That’s the point. He led his team to 9,11, 8 and 6 win seasons. His play in the regular season led directly to a number of those losses because he was a bottom tier QB every year he played.

                He stepped up in the playoffs and played better, good for him, but his situation isn’t the same as Kaps. Kap, doesn’t turn the ball over excessively costing his team multiple games like Sanchez did.

              12. “And you believe this because they will have less money to sign depth?”

                Yes. What is Kaepernick’s record when Vernon Davis either doesn’t play or doesn’t finish the game?

                “Also, in your opinion, what is the window if they don’t sign Kaepernick?”

                It’s wide open. Harbaugh showed in 2011 that he could come within two muffed punts of getting to a Super Bowl with Alex Smith.

              13. “and rushing yards and rushing TDs?”

                You told me to compare their passing numbers. Of course Kaepernick is the better runner, no one is questioning his ability to run.

              14. rocket,

                We’ll see how it plays out. Kaepernick still has the best team in the league around him in 2014.

              15. So it sounds like you believe that this signing is bad for the team and it hamstrings the 9ers chances to be successful beyond the next 1-2 years. Furthermore, you believe Vernon Davis is more valuable to the team than Colin Kaepernick.

                Is that right?

              16. “So it sounds like you believe that this signing is bad for the team and it hamstrings the 9ers chances to be successful beyond the next 1-2 years.”

                That is my initial impression, however, as more details come out it is beginning to sound like this may be a deal very similar to the one they did with Smith in 2012 which would allow them to get out with minimal damage if necessary. If that proves to be the case my stance may change.

                “Furthermore, you believe Vernon Davis is more valuable to the team than Colin Kaepernick.”

                No. Vernon Davis is extremely valuable to the success of Colin Kaepernick. That was proven last season in the games against Indianapolis and Carolina, two of the worst games of Kaepernick’s career.

              17. Jack, I’m not going to read your article, so tell me it isn’t another of your Kaep is Sanchez fallacies that you keep spouting about on this board.

                Yes. The Sanchez that accounted for 80% of his team’s offense (like Keap did in the 2013 postseason). Or the Sanchez that racked up 444 yards offense by himself (like Keap did in the 2012 playoffs against GB). These are the same guy to you, right?

        1. Manning got a bigger guarantee.

          and you still don’t understand the concept of NET PRESENT VALUE. and the premium placed on being available in any given year. also the rise of the salary cap inflates today’s contracts. again you don’t simplistically rank the QBs and then apply a corresponding per year average compensation.

          1. No he didn’t. The $61M guarantee for Kaepernick is the highest ever. Manning got $58M.

            1. and how were those guarantees structured? we don’t know how Kaep’s were structured. Mannings (originally) were structured like 3 one year contracts.

              1. Don’t worry Jack, according to affp part of the $61M in guarantees will include roster bonuses! :-P

              2. Jack, above I responded to your comment about the possible size of the signing bonus.

                Scooter…I’m not sure we have much more to discuss if you don’t realize that roster bonuses are usually a big part of the guarantee money in NFL contracts.

              3. Affp – roster bonuses are typically used as a decision point for teams to either keep the player on a roster or let them go at a time that allows the player to seek a fair deal elsewhere – e.g., usually the start of free agency. If you guarantee that bonus there is no reason to cut the player in the first place. It is a moot bonus, and it may as well just be salary for the year.

                There may be instances where teams have included a roster bonus as part of guaranteed money, but I don’t recall any, and I don’t see why they would.

              4. Scooter, what I’m telling you is that almost all NFL contracts you read about include roster bonuses and other “rolling bonuses” as part of the “guarantee money”. So Kaep’s $61M most likely has conditional bonuses…so other than the signing bonus (which I’m guessing is $32-$35M) there’s no real guaranteed money.

              5. AFFP,

                Guaranteed money is guaranteed money. As Scooter stated, roster bonus’ are stipulations put in to force teams to make a decision on whether to keep the player or not. If you don’t pay the roster bonus, the guy becomes a FA for example. In this case, the guarantees are 61 million dollars. They can come in many different ways like bonus’ and guaranteed salaries in some years, but make no mistake, that money will be paid out.

              6. And I just repeated what Scooter said above. My apologies Scooter. I should have checked before posting.

              7. Affp, yes, most contracts include those types of bonuses, but they aren’t typically guaranteed. Yes, teams can renegotiate a deal with a player where guaranteed money is still owing, but there is no incentive for the player during any renegotiation to give up that guaranteed money. Kaep will get that $61M one way or another.

              8. Scooter, yes they usually are part of the reported “guaranteed money”. weather Kaepernick will see that part of his $61M is up to him when the time comes to renegotiate.

                Here’s a good comparison:

                Joe Flacco’s six-year, $120.6 million contract makes him the NFL’s highest paid player. His $20.1 million average yearly salary narrowly tops the $20 million average per year Drew Brees received in the five-year, $100 million contract he signed with the New Orleans Saints last July.
                Technically, Flacco’s contract is a four-year deal with options for the fifth and sixth contract years. The deal contains $52 million in guarantees, which consists of a $29 million signing bonus, a $15 million option bonus in 2014, a $7 million option bonus in 2015 and a $1 million injury guaranteed 2013 base salary. Flacco has unguaranteed $6 million, $4 million, $18 million, $20.6 million and $20 million base salaries in his 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 contract years.

                An option bonus is essentially an additional signing bonus that’s usually paid in the second or third year of a contract to exercise later years in the deal. Since an option bonus is given the same treatment on the cap as signing bonus, it is prorated or evenly spread out over the life of a contract for a maximum of five years. Flacco’s $15 million option bonus is prorated during the 2014 through 2018 contract years. His $7 million option bonus is prorated over the 2015 through 2018 years.

                Option bonuses aren’t as secure as signing bonuses. Typically, the Ravens include an option non-exercise fee in their contracts for the same amount as the option bonus which is payable the day after the option exercise period expires if the player hasn’t been released. Flacco’s contract has a $22 million non-exercise fee in 2014 relating to the first option. There’s a $7 million non-exercise fee with the second option in 2015.

                http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000146725/article/joe-flaccos-ravens-contract-includes-52m-guaranteed

              9. Affp, I think the issue we have here is that you are confusing terms. You have been arguing that it will include roster bonuses as guaranteed money. Now you are talking about option bonuses (which Kaep’s deal may well include – with salaries in future periods not fully guaranteed until the option is picked up), but they are very different to a roster bonus.

                Based on the article you outline by NinersNation, it sounds like the $61M in guarantees will include rolling guarantees that are only guaranteed by being on a roster on a given date. To be clear – this is not the same as a roster bonus, which pays the player a discreet, lump sum of money if they are on the roster on a given date. However, it has a similar effect in that it provides the team with the option of cutting the player and not having to pay out the salary that would otherwise be guaranteed if on the roster at a certain date.

                So, no, the guaranteed money is unlikely to include roster bonuses, as I’ve been saying. It is however likely to include rolling guarantees, that provide the 49ers with some capacity to void the deal without having to pay the full $61M, as you have been saying.

              10. here’s Aaron Rodgers’s contract

                Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers have agreed on a five-year, $110 million contract extension, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

                Rodgers is guaranteed an NFL-record $62.5 million, sources told Schefter, which includes the three-year cash total and guarantee in the contract.

                Here’s how it breaks down which includes the roster bonuses

                http://www.overthecap.com/cap.php?Name=Aaron%20Rodgers&Position=QB&Team=Packers

              11. Well there you have it. Roster bonuses in 2014 and 2015 are guaranteed. Consider me apologetic.

        2. my point is that it’s laughable if you actually think Kaepernick’s contract is actually work $21M per year. again, you don’t simplistically add up the total contract and divide by the term of the contract. this isn’t the NBA with fully guaranteed salaries.

          1. agree, this is going to be a complex contract. I said this already but I dont see Paraag doing something that completely handicaps this team going forward.

    2. He’s not making 21 mill per year. The 126 million figure was listed as a number he could make. Schefter reported it as over 110 mill which could be a hundred grand over 110 for all we know.

      My guess is, the average will be about 18.5, with the ability to increase that if he achieves incentives like winning a SB, in which case nobody should mind.

      Oh and is it ok to say I told you so now Jack?

      1. Sure rocket, but exactly when did I say it wouldn’t happen? I’m pretty sure my stance was that it shouldn’t.

  13. Niners win one SB in the next seven years and this real is worth it. Only time will tell. But I’m excited about the Niner future

  14. Is it a good deal? Probably not. Only because its a huge salary that could impact other players like Iupati, Crabtree, and Vernon. Now has earned it, I would say the potential is there but as for the decision making and development since being in the league, no.
    The 49ers were handcuffed. They had no choice but to sign him based on his ceiling and dynamic play. Lets see how this year goes.

    1. FDM,

      His play on the field has earned it. No matter how you come down on the subject, this is the reality of the QB market and as soon as somebody like Jay Cutler was given 18 mill a year, you should have known this was coming. Kap is being paid his value on the market. I don’t like what it does to the cap either, but that is the game now. The good thing is, if he gets to the level I think he can, this will be a bargain down the road, while salaries keep spiraling upward due to the cap increases.

      1. The issue I have Rocket is then the players control every aspect of what they are worth. Good, bad or indifferent type play means nothing.
        Cutler after so many years of poor play and decisions and not winning, got rewarded. Same for Tony Romo. On the other side, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees got paid because of performance.
        If anyone from a performance on the field thinks this deal for Kaepernick is good then they did not watch the 49ers QB in critical championship moments make some poor decisions.
        Now I know people are gonna say he is young, developing, but one thing I know from coaching, you cannot fix decision making.

        1. Contracts are out of control for QB’s FDM, I agree with you. However, you need one if you have any hope of winning a Championship in this league. Say what you will about Kaps decision making, but he’s been one play away from winning the final game both years he’s started. To me that doesn’t scream the guy can’t play. It tells me we are damn close, and another year of experience will hopefully get him to where he needs to be to take that final step.

          1. He can play there is no doubt. But can he manage a game to a point where the decisions he makes are the right ones? When you make the same critical mistake 2 years in a row, that doesn’t scream franchise QB to me.
            Again, he is young and maybe more experience, better coaching, play calling will help.
            All Im saying is the contract was a little much for this stage of his career. The 49ers had no choice but to go all in, however, intelligence is not a skill, its a trait, some guys have it, others don’t.

  15. The reality is that NFL teams don’t reward players for their past play. NFL teams pay players for what they’re projected to do in the future. Huge congrats to Kap and his family.

  16. I get the 61 million that is guaranteed, but the contract is worth 110-126 million. This means they are going to be lots of incentives and marks he is going to have to reach to max this deal out. I dont think this deal is going to be as bad on the cap as everyone is first making it out to be. Seems like Paraag would get a deal in place that would not drown the team with this contract.

  17. Boom. Nice work Kap:

    Adam Schefter: “Colin Kaepernick specifically requested his deal allow 49ers flexibility to negotiate extensions with players such as WR Michael Crabtree”
    Adam Schefter “Most unique aspect of Colin Kaepernick’s new deal: it contains $12 million in signing bonus, whereas most big QB deals are $24-$40 million.”

        1. initial signing bonus stretched over 5 years is $2.4M. but there is still $49M in guaranteed money in the contract. My guess is that guarantee money shows up as either roster bonuses or option bonuses.

          roster bonuses are just chucks of money that occur at the beginning of each football year. that money is not guaranteed until that year comes around.

          option bonuses act sort of like secondary signing bonuses. So say in year 3 there’s a $15M option bonus that comes up. It can be prorated over what’s left of life in the contract. $15M/4= is another $3.75M/year guaranteed. But the Niners would not be obligated to pay that money until the option bonus comes up in a few years. So they could cut their loses with Kaep and just owe him a $5 or so million (from his original signing bonus) in year 2 or 3.

        2. “what does this SB mean exactly in terms of the guaranteed money?”

          It’s a portion of it. From what I am reading the Kaepernick deal is starting to sound an awful lot like the Smith deal of 2012 on steroids.

          1. would you explain that? I dont’ remember the Smith deal very well. Wasn’t it worth around $9M or so? I don’t remember how it was structured.

            1. Smith’s deal was 3 years/$25.25M with $9M guaranteed, but it was structured in such a way that it was essentially a series of one year deals.

              The only difference is Kaepernick has a signing bonus, but that amount wouldn’t be too big of a hit if they decided to move on. The details will be intersting.

    1. So what does the latter portion of Schefter’s mean exactly… and I wonder if the Crabtree stuff is just all talk

  18. I keep hearing “six year extension.” If the 49ers have him through 2020, my math tells me 7 years when you include this season. This changes the complexion of the discussion when discussing who the highest paid QBs are. .

    1. That’s the point I tried to make earlier Brodie. He is essentially under contract for the next 7 seasons for 127 mill.

      The SB is surprising. Now I’m really interested to see how this breaks down, especially when Schefter is saying Kap specifically requested a deal that allowed the team flexibility to resign other players.

      1. Wow, the $12M signing bonus is team friendly.

        Can’t wait to see the full details of the deal. My initial reaction to it is looking more and more knee-jerky.

  19. I’m fine with Kaps contract and where it stands in comparisson to other QBs. After two years he will be on the back side of top 10 paid QBs with Newton, RGIII, Wilson, Rogers getting extended, Luck and others which will all command higher contracts (I guess we will see with RG3). The 49ers have a higher paid QB this year and next but after that they might have a bargain depending on how well Kap plays. Time will tell.

    1. Good assessment. With the salary cap increasing teams like Seattle, Carolina, Washington will be under alot of cap pressure.

  20. The value with Kap and the contract he’s being given is based in part, on what he’s done so far.
    .
    But I believe this is based moreso on what they feel he can and will do going forward.
    .
    This contract says: We think you’re a top-tier quarterback and we’re going to pay you like one. You’re the unquestioned leader of this team. We are confident that you give us the best chance to win a Super Bowl.
    .
    This organization doesn’t throw away money and their roster and salary cap are so superbly managed that it’s tough to question even a blockbuster deal like this one.
    .
    It could backfire, sure.
    .
    But they see real star potential in this kid, otherwise they would’ve waited which would’ve also been totally understandable.
    .
    This deal has me pumped!
    .
    LET’S PLAY FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    .
    .
    .
    *ALOHA*

  21. So, will all of the ‘Crabtree will gone at the end of the season’ comments die down a little?
    .
    Just wondering…:)
    .
    .
    .
    *ALOHA*

  22. A little less than i figured when they were in talks. Good for him. BUT….
    I’m saying it now. This is my make or break year for this kid. I honestly think he will get no better than this season coming up. He has got to learn to read routes better and he has got to be more patient in the pocket. I think this is Super Bowl money. Not one throw away from winning it money.
    I believe he will bring a title soon… Very soon. But if he continues to struggle with reads I just don’t see him getting better in the future. And this contract will be a waste. If he wins a Superbowl (and again I think he will) it’s a great deal. Especially now that the qb market has gone up for runner ups that don’t win superbowls. Every couple of years a player lifts the market of a certain position. Well ck is that player. So you can be this deal won’t be the most for long and other qb’s will be matched or earn more in the next year or two.

  23. There is no way to know what the contract is really worth until the stipulations that led to an “up to” qualifier are. There is always some (a little or a lot) puff in the first description.

    My guess is that the 49ers have protection build in and room to maneuver other contracts that need to be signed over the next two years.

  24. Kaep has to be either a top 5 QB every season or at least a top 10 QB along with 2-3 Super Bowl titles to justify this contract. Anything less than that is officially unacceptable.
    As I have said before, the team is now going to have to make some very tough choices in regards to the roster and absolutely can’t afford to miss on even one draft.

  25. From the get go I felt CK was a bad draft pick due to my belief the Niners were going to run a West Coast Offense. I debated this with Jack 2 maybe 3 years ago. My concerns were that CK didn’t have the skill set for the WCO ( I still believe that). However we don’t really run a WCO or any variation of it. The Niners run a potpourri of plays a little of this a little of that and some innovation. CK has all the physical tools required to excel in pro football. The remaining question is CK thought processes everything he has problems with is mental. Footwork, reading defenses, audible, decision making, etc. is all mental. Well for the kind of money that is being paid which was expected, changed my expectations for this coming year I expect no more blunders in the big games. I expect no more mental mistakes. I also expect some talented players have to leave for cap puposes, which makes me expect CK to carry the team. I expect excellent play from the QB position. I also expect him to succeed and I think he will. Guess we will find out.

    1. to the contrary the Niners do run a WCO. Why do you believe otherwise? and because they are a power run first offense is not a valid answer.

      1. Affp Actually the run game would be the only thing that would be WCO. The WCO isn’t a group of certain plays its a philosophy which is a low risk ball control in the passing game. Slants, all types of screens, outs. Its a huge ball control type offense and that’s where the run game comes in. The run plays you see have been used many times before, just in different formations. Lot of these plays come from the single wing formation and that’s a pure power run game. As of yet I don’t see CK very accurate in the short game. WCO passing attack was considered a long handoff very short passes with many of those passes behind the line of scrimmage. AFFP go rewatch the Cardinal game two years ago I believe the first game, with Alex Smith at QB. That was as close to a WCO I have seen since the Montana/Walsh days. Like I say the WCO is a philosophy and I don’t see it being applied but a few plays a game. A few plays doesn’t constitute running a certain type of offense. Anyhow all’s good.

        1. Also with the short passing game came the term run after the catch. It was the Niners signature and they did it very well. Also with the passing attack the defensive backs had to play in and that is when Jerry Rice was lethal. The defensive back had to watch for that short passing game it was tearing them up. They cheat and Rice and others just went by them no speed just smarts.

  26. I wonder how Grant is taking the news.
    It looks like the staff didn’t listen to him.
    again…………..

  27. If he’s your guy – and there don’t seem to be any second comings of Joe Montana in the offing – then you gotta sign him and pay him.

    Hope we can keep the bulk of the core of this team around to challenge for a SB…actions by VD, Boone, and others are a bit dismaying. At various points I have wanted to have the salary cap raised – these teams are not hurting, after all – but of course the game would still continue, the top guys would want more than $60 mm gtd, and the lesser stars would still be unhappy if their $8mm were no longer top of league pay. Like some other well compensated fields, the guy playing for $8 mm would probably play for $800,000 (a princely sum, right?) if that defined the high end of pay…but as it does not, they would not.

  28. All the Kaep jock sniffers are ecstatic about this deal……..but, bear in mind, the 49er’s are paying him on his potential, and not for what he’s accomplished….he is no way worth Aaron Rodgers’ money……..$126M is a ton, with $61M guaranteed is alot of dough to put out for one player…what about the offensive line? How about those guys? Many of those ‘in the know’ regarding the NFL, regard the current 49er’s offensive line as one of the best, if not, the best ‘O’ line in the NFL. Put aside the receivng corps for a minute and realize that everything starts and stops with the ‘O’ line…yeah, Goody is with the Saints now, but through the FA process and his age. The front office obviously thought enough of Dan Kilgore to give him a contract extension in order to fill in for the loss of JG..What of Alex Boone and Milke Iupati? Are the 9er’s going to let one or both of those guys walk? Big mistake! Having guards like those two is not something to be taken with a grain of salt….Good for CK, he got his money….hopefully he and the rest of the 49er’s can deliver…but if they don’t, how many of you will be throwing the blanket of blame on his shoulders, rather than the front office for failing to keep a cohesive unit in the fold?

  29. Kap is the highest paid running back / scrambler ever.
    It’s unfair to compare him with quarterbacks.
    Unfair for quartebacks and unfair him.
    Window closes in 2 years, agree with J.H. article (nice piece, Jack)

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