If Colin Kaepernick wants to play for the Denver Broncos in 2016, all he has to do is agree to take less money.
Kaepernick met with John Elway twice last week. The Broncos and San Francisco 49ers have reportedly agreed to the framework of a deal for the 28-year-old quarterback, so Kaepernick could only be discussing one thing with Elway — a possible pay cut.
The Broncos have very little salary cap space, and they are looking for Kaepernick to take far less than the $11.9 million in base salary he is signed for in 2016. Peter King of The MMQB reports that Denver likely wants Kaep to take something closer to $6 million. Now, the only question is how badly does he want out of San Francisco.
As King notes, the decision is now Kaepernick’s to make. The Broncos and 49ers appear to have agreed on compensation, though it is highly unlikely that San Francisco will agree to pay any of Kaepernick’s salary as part of the deal. Is taking half the money to play for the defending champions and their phenomenal defense worth it for Kaep?
King guesses that it will be, and that makes some sense. If Kaepernick truly wants nothing to do with Chip Kelly, he might feel that playing with the Broncos and their excellent running game and two great receivers would be the ideal “prove-it” scenario for him. Taking less money in the short-term could lead to more guaranteed money next offseason.
The longer this drags out, the more it seems like the reports about Kaepernick wanting out of San Francisco were accurate. He must know by now that the Broncos can’t pay him as much as the 49ers can, yet the door hasn’t been closed. That says an awful lot.
