San Francisco 49ers

Report: Chip Kelly wanted Colin Kaepernick wherever he landed

Published Jan. 14, 2016 2:32 p.m. ET

foxsports

Apparently, Chip Kelly, new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, is a huge Colin Kaepernick fan.

As he plotted potential moves & his next @NFL stop, Chip Kelly was trying to figure out how to trade for/sign Colin Kaepernick. No need now.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 14, 2016

Now, this isn’t a definitive statement from Kelly or the 49ers. But as soon as the news broke that the former Philadelphia Eagles coach was headed to Santa Clara, an immediate question on everyone’s mind was “What does this mean for Kaepernick?”

It apparently means Kelly is going to do everything in his power to keep the embattled quarterback, who seemed a lock to be leaving after his miserable 2015 season.

On face value, the Kelly/Kaepernick duo appears to be a match made in heaven. Kaepernick is a dual-threat passer who is probably more dynamic than any other quarterback in the NFL with the ball in his hands in the open field.

However, it will be interesting to see if his accuracy issues and lack of decisiveness at the line of scrimmage -- both before and after the snap -- make him a good fit for Kelly’s fast-paced offense that requires pinpoint accuracy and no hesitation at all.

Kaepernick had the highest inaccuracy rate last year on short throws (0-9 yds) and overall. #49ers https://t.co/UMKBD1WJ2i
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) January 14, 2016

Kaepernick is set to count $16 million against the cap for the 49ers if he’s still on the roster on April 1. His salary at that point becomes fully guaranteed for injury. He’s recovering from two surgeries -- one on a torn ligament in his hand and another on his knee.

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