Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick is dealing with “dead arm” right now, which is why he didn’t play in the team’s preseason opener on Sunday.
According to Schefter, the 49ers are hoping Kaepernick gets strength back in his arm at some point in the near future.
Many have said that the 49ers’ starting quarterback job is all but certain to be Blaine Gabbert’s to lose. However, HC Chip Kelly downplayed that on Monday, saying that Kaepernick will get a fair shot to prove he’s the team’s best option once he’s ready to go.
“He says he feels better as we go, but we’re not going to push him so we can have a proper evaluation of him,” Kelly said of Kaepernick. “We’re just trying to get him healthy and see if we can get him ready for this week against Denver.”
During the offseason, the 49ers were in talks to trade Kaepernick to the Broncos, but Denver ultimately drafted Paxton Lynch and traded for Mark Sanchez after they couldn’t reach an agreement with Kaepernick on a restructed deal.
Kaepernick, 28, is in the third year of his seven-year, $126.97 million contract that included $61 million guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $13.9 million for the 2016 season.
While those numbers are impressive on their own, the contract is essentially a pay-as-you-go agreement that includes ways for San Francisco to walk away with limited repercussions, as long as Kaepernick is healthy.
In 2015, Kaepernick threw for 1,615 yards while completing 59.3 percent of his passes to go along with six touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of eight games. He also added 228 yards rushing and a touchdown.
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