If 49ers Trade Kaepernick, Where Might He Land?
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Colin Kaepernick reportedly has asked to be traded out of San Francisco, but where might he be flexing his biceps if he is dealt?
According to the NFL Network, the agents for the 49ers quarterback have requested permission from the team to seek a trade.
MORE: Palladino: Kaepernick Is In No Way The Right Fit For Jets
Word of the request came Thursday evening, a day after San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke and new coach Chip Kelly both said they believed Kaepernick would be back with the team in 2016.
Kelly even told CSN Bay Area: "He wants to be here. He's never expressed to me that he doesn't want to be here. He expressed to me that he was excited about getting healthy and getting going."
Earlier this month, the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta reported that Kaepernick, 28, wanted out of San Francisco and the Jets were his preferred destination.
"He's not happy with the organization, and he has professional and personal reasons for wanting to play for the Jets," Mehta told WFAN's Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts last month. "The Jets are not the only team that he would be happy playing for. It's just the team he would prefer."'
But CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora later reported the Jets are not interested in Kaepernick. General manager Mike Maccagnan has said publicly he wants to re-sign 33-year-old free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Kaepernick is under contract through 2020 and is due more than $77 million in base salary over the next five seasons, meaning his deal might have to be reworked to help facilitate a trade.
The teams most in need of a starting quarterback, assuming the Jets re-sign Fitzpatrick, are the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
Kaepernick, who led San Francisco to the Super Bowl three years ago, was benched for backup Blaine Gabbert after a 2-6 start this past season. Two weeks later, the 49ers placed Kaepernick on season-ending injured reserve with a hurt shoulder, reportedly at the quarterback's request.
