Colin Kaepernick says he wants to ‘balance’ his contract with 49ers needs
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) looks to throw a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of the 2013 NFC Championship football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers have a big offseason ahead of them when it comes to juggling finances, and the impending contract extension for Colin Kaepernick is the hottest topic of them all. He has a cap hit of just $1.63 million in 2014, but that’s also the final year of his deal and extending him would be best for both sides. However, Kaepernick won’t be cheap, since he’s one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and his dual-threat ability definitely increases his price. He had a slow start to the season, but he was clearly in top form again once his favorite receiver, Michael Crabtree, returned from an Achilles’ injury to finally give Kaep enough pass-catching help.
Kaepernick had a very interesting interview with KNBR’s Murph and Mac today, and the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows found a great quote from the 49ers QB on balancing his financial desire with the team’s financial goals.
He said, “I think it’s a balance. You want to be paid fairly for what you feel like you’re doing in comparison to your peers. But at the same time, you have to realize, if we want to get Anquan Boldin back, if we want Donte Whitner to come back, we’re going to have to make moves to get them back. And there has to be room for everyone. And that’s something I’m going to let my agent and the organization try to figure out. But hopefully, it’s a position where we can assemble the best team we need.”
Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise, it’s great to hear that Kaepernick isn’t going to go “Joe Flacco” on the 49ers and demand a ridiculous amount of money, as franchise QBs can handcuff a team if they decide not to be team players and choose to chase the paper. Boldin went to the Niners in a trade because the Baltimore Ravens could not afford to keep him after Flacco’s mega-deal, and Flacco certainly saw just how important the players around him are. Kaep isn’t in a position to make that kind of money, especially from the wise 49ers organization, but it’s great to hear that he knows it’s about finding a “balance”.