49ers Kaepernick placed on injured reserve

After suffering a season-ending injury on his non-throwing shoulder, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has likely played his final snaps for San Francisco.

The San Francisco 49ers placed Colin Kaepernick on injured reserve Saturday afternoon, catching a lot of us off-guard. Unless the 49ers don’t want to use Blaine Gabbert as their starting Quarterback next year.

Speaking before the 49ers game in Seattle, Baalke said Kaepernick consulted team doctors and received a second opinion before the decision for surgery was made.

“I think that helped a lot for the spot I’m in now”, the rookie said. The 49ers can avoid paying his $11.9 million base salary if he is traded or release by April 1.

“It was mutual”, general manager Trent Baalke said via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

So with nearly a sure deal, of Kaepernick not returning in 2016, where do the 49ers go from here?

“My special team’s coach told me, ‘If I can come this far in five or six months, imagine how much further I’m going to go in 12 months.’ That’s definitely my mindset”, Hayne added, referring to his demotion to practice squad earlier this National Football League season. Kaepernick first suffered the injury against the Green Bay Packers on October 4.

But the 49ers had control over his non-guaranteed long-term contract and there was a chance they might hold on to him into 2016-say, if Kaepernick had to be rushed back into the lineup later this season and performed adequately.

He originally injured the shoulder in Week 4, but started the next four games with the inury.

Kaepernick was 29th in passer rating (78.5) when he went to the bench. “He’s no different than any other player on IR. When there’s surgery, then there’s the rehab process, and then getting ready for the season is the next step”. Rapoport also reported that at least three teams were interested in acquiring Kaepernick at the trade deadline, but none were willing to take on his salary in the middle of the season. Kaepernick has been in a severe decline the last two seasons, after helping the 49ers reach a Super Bowl in the 2012 season and an NFC championship game the season after that.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who had briefs stints as a 49ers backup in 2011 and 2013, was signed Monday to the practice squad, according to multiple reports.

Thompson completed 60 percent of his passes in the preseason for 277 yards and two touchdowns.