According to CBS Sports, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is seeking a new deal that would pay him $18 million annually. Kaepernick was drafted in the second round of the 2011 National Football League Draft by the Niners. Midway through the 2012 NFL season Kaepernick took over the starting quarterbacking duties in San Francisco for an injured Alex Smith. Kaepernick started the final seven regular season games for the Niners that year and he led the team to a 5-2 record. The Niners won the NFC West and Kaepernick helped San Francisco make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. This past season was Kaepernick’s first full season as a starter as he led the 49ers to a 12-4 record by passing for 3,197 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Niners once again made the postseason, but they were denied a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after Kaepernick was intercepted by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith in the waning seconds of the NFC Championship Game. Kaepernick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he is set to only earn $973k in base salary. Rightfully so Kaepernick is seeking a long-term deal from the 49ers, but is he worth at $18 million annually?
The 49ers have come into this off-season with several questions that need to be addressed. The Niners came in the off-season with only $8.4 million in salary cap space, but after releasing a few veterans such as cornerback Carlos Rogers, San Francisco now has $10.6 million in wiggle room. There have been reports of bickering in the 49ers front office between general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Jim Harbaugh which almost led to Harbaugh being traded to the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago. The Niners must now answer questions at three of the most important positions for a football team which are general manager, head coach, and quarterback. Is Baalke the right man in the front office? Can Harbaugh co-exist with his boss? And should Kaepernick be paid as an elite NFL quarterback?
Entering his fourth year in the NFL, Kaepernick is still in the process of learning how to play quarterback position which is rather scary for the other 31 teams in the league as he has done it so far mainly off of his athleticism. This past season Kaepernick had a quarterback rating of 91.6 to go along with a completion percentage of 58.4. But Kaepernick must still learn to make plays from inside of the pocket.
Throughout his brief career, when Kaepernick doesn’t see his first option in the passing game open, he will take off running down the field. Last season Kaepernick gained 524 rushing yards which was fourth among NFL quarterbacks. But now Kaepernick must find a way to use his running ability to simply move around in the pocket in order to buy more time down the field for his receivers. Kaepernick must also find a better way to read opposing defenses. In three games in the postseason last year, Kaepernick had three touchdown passes and three interceptions. The three picks that were thrown by Kaepernick were forced balls. Two of those forced throws occurred when Kaepernick was outside of the pocket and he was unnecessarily trying to make something happen for his team. It will come with time, but Kaepernick must develop a better pocket awareness.
If 49ers owner Jed York is going to pay Kaepernick a hefty salary then it will be imperative for him to keep Harbaugh employed in the Bay Area. Harbaugh took the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in 2011 with a quarterback in Smith who had been an afterthought up until that point in his NFL career. Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick as soon as he came to San Francisco and he has groomed him into being “his guy”. Harbaugh is one of the best in the business in developing quarterbacks and for Kaepernick’s career to go to the next level, he needs Harbaugh.
For Kaepernick to receive $18 million this season from the 49ers it would make him the second highest paid quarterback in the NFL this season behind Jay Cutler of the Chicago Bears who is set to earn $22 million in base salary.
In spite of just being a three-year NFL veteran, Kaepernick does have some leverage with the 49ers. Kaepernick has given the 49ers organization their first stability at the quarterback position since Jeff Garcia was the starting quarterback in San Francisco from 1999-2003. From 2003-2010 the 49ers had 10 different starting quarterbacks and it isn’t shocking that they did not qualify for the playoffs once during the stretch. Kaepernick is still rough around the edges, but he has a wealth of potential.
I do see the 49ers giving Kaepernick a hefty pay raise soon, but the front office in San Francisco must proceed with caution due to the fact that the contracts of wide receiver Michael Crabtree, guard Mike Iupati, and outside linebacker Aldon Smith are all set to expire in 2015 as well.
We have seen recently when teams in the NFL broke the bank to appease their franchise quarterback that they were unable to sure up other key positions on the squad. In 2012, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was the recipient of a new five-year, $100 million deal to remain in the French Quarter. The Saints missed the playoffs in 2012 and they have had to part with key veterans such as guard Carl Nicks in 2012 and running back Darren Sproles this month. The Saints also could not afford to sign tight end Jimmy Graham this off-season to a long-term deal and they were forced to use the franchise tag on him. Prior to the start of the 2012 NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens were left to ponder signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term extension. The Ravens brass passed on signing Flacco and instead they decided to wait until the season ended. What happened in between was that Flacco defeated Kaepernick and the 49ers in the Super Bowl and earned MVP honors for the game in the process. The Ravens would go on to sign Flacco to a six-year, $120.6 million extension and like the Saints, the Ravens subsequently had to part with key players. In 2012 Flacco’s top option in the passing game was wide receiver Anquan Boldin. The Ravens could not afford to pay Boldin and last off-season they traded him to the Niners.
What the 49ers must do is to now ask themselves how valuable Kaepernick is to their franchise and are they willing to part with key players as this team is on the cusp of winning a Super Bowl Championship by breaking the bank for their signal caller.. Kaepernick is the future in San Francisco, but what is the purpose of having a franchise quarterback when you’re unable to put a franchise around him?
Sources: Sportrac.com, Pickingpros.com
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