“There’s no crying in football!” — Trent Baalke, probably.
When asked about whether or he’s talked to Colin Kaepernick the San Francisco 49ers general manager had this to say, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle: “I can’t get into what his feelings are. I have not addressed them directly with Colin.
Branch went on to report that Baalke hasn’t had an “in-person discussion” with Kaepernick since the quarterback arrived for the team’s offseason program on April 4.
That’s two weeks ago, folks, and they’ve been in the same building.
Nah, no animosity there.
Regardless of the potential fit Kaepernick may be in Chip Kelly’s offense, it appears there is an irreparable tear in the fabric of Kaepernick’s relationship with Baalke, and by association the 49ers.
Many have assumed Kaepernick would have been traded by now, given this fact. But other teams don’t seem to value him as much now as the 49ers did when they inked him to his rather team-friendly year-to-year contract.
The Broncos — which was the idyllic landing spot for Kap — want him to essentially leave up to $16 million dollars on the table to play for him as “an elite backup,” whatever that’s supposed to mean.
NaVorro Bowman — a team leader and man whose words carry serious weight — recently said Kaepernick would be “a distraction” if he is still on the roster come the start of the season.
With all this in mind it’s hard to imagine he will still be on the roster when the 49ers head into training camp in July. Trade talks could intensify as the draft approaches. In the meantime, both sides seem to be handling things with professionalism, though relationships remain quite frosty all around.