QB Colin Kaepernick seeks trade from Chip Kelly, 49ers

Believe it or not, the chess match between San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke and quarterback Colin Kaepernick rages on.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) scrambles with the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) chases during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field.

“The main focus right now is health, getting him healthy”.

“I’m not allowed to comment about [Kaepernick] in terms of how he fits into any system because of the CBA rules of we’re not allowed to discuss football, I’m not allowed to say who fits where and how they fit”, Kelly said.

“The good thing is we’ve got two guys that have gone into games and proven they can play”, he assessed.

Well, if the reports are true that Kaepernick wants a trade, and they certainly match up to earlier reports of him wanting out this off-season, then it doesn’t look like that Kaepernick will ever run Kelly’s system. “I’m excited about working with Colin”. Kaepernick went on to have shoulder, knee and thumb precedures this offseason.

Kaepernick has been rehabilitating the past month in Vail, Colorado, where he underwent surgery at The Steadman Clinic. Even if new head coach Chip Kelly is convinced Kaepernick can be resurrected, it’ll be a shock if the 49ers don’t use one of their first two picks on a college star who could be the 2016 starter.

Now, when Chip Kelly addressed the matter Thursday, casting more positive vibes on the Kaepernick situation, that meant something more because you have to think he will have the biggest say in how the quarterback situation plays out.

Aside from being on the roster, April 1 will mark the day when Kaepernick’s base salary of $11.9 million for this season will be finalized. He was benched midway though the year in favor of backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert after he threw six touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts.

Baalke also said “absolutely“, when asked Wednesday if he expected Kaepernick to be with the 49ers this season. “But, as of right now, as we’re trying to put this thing together with free agency and the draft, we feel pretty good about how we’re communicating and what exactly we’re looking for”. Again, I’m not ruling out a Kaepernick return; I’m saying that hasn’t been fully decided and Baalke was just hedging his bet Wednesday in a manner he figured would compromise their process the least.

The teams I would circle: Denver, the New York Jets, Houston and Cleveland. His statistics have slipped since leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season and reaching the NFC Championship Game after the 2013 season. You can just look at the tape and know how talented he is.