As free agency slowly approaches, the San Francisco 49ers won't have a single quarterback on their roster when the team enters free agency on March 9 and the new league year opens. On Friday, Colin Kaepernick made the expected move official when he opted out of his contract. He would have been paid $16.9 million this season in the final year of his deal.
While there's no fantasy impact for the 49ers right now, we can take a brief look at Kaepernick going forward. Put your emotions aside, this is a 29-year-old quarterback who across six starts from Nov.6 to Dec. 24 threw 13 touchdown passes, rushed for two touchdowns and only had three interceptions. It's not the numbers of the great Kaepernick years, but he showed more than enough to fight for a starter job next season.
The Cleveland Browns were mentioned in the past as a potential fit, though the latest indications point to the Browns looking elsewhere for a quarterback. But the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, while the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars could really use someone that can come in and really challenge their current starters for the gig next season. The 49ers also haven't closed the door on him, though he likely isn't a fit for what Kyle Shanahan is looking for.
Keep an eye on what happens with Kaepernick. The 49ers lacked any reasonable surrounding talent last season and if Kaepernick could latch onto a team that gives him a shot to start and has starting-caliber wide receivers, he could hold some fantasy value next season as a QB2/spot starter.