NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Colin Kaepernick Stay With Jarryd Hayne, Carlos Hyde; QB Sticks With Chip Kelly

By Mitch de Leon
Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick Reuters

The San Francisco 49ers have been battling a quarterback dilemma since the previous NFL season. While the football team boasts of a remarkable leader in Colin Kaepernick, their relationship turned sour midway. As a result, the San Francisco 49ers benched the quarterback and opted to go for Blaine Gibbert in the starting lineup. Even during Kaepernick's healthy days, the NFL team chose to field the backup in the games. Hence, the football community did not find it surprising when Kap openly sought for a trade.

Amid the NFL trade rumors surrounding Kaepernick, a game changer for the two parties arrived in the San Francisco 49ers. Chip Kelly, the former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was signed by the Jarryd Hayne squad. Unlike his relationship and admiration for ex-Dallas Cowboys star DeMarco Murray, Kelly has been quite vocal about his desire to work with Kaepernick. This led to questions on Kap's decision to leave the NFL team. With a head coach who so admires him and his skill set, will the quarterback still walk away?

"That was his agents talking to Trent," shared Kelly, addressing the NFL trade rumors that insist on Kap's departure from the team. The San Francisco 49ers new head coach added, "I've never been privy to that kind of stuff. I talked to Kap two days ago. A really good conversation. There's a business side of this game. Whatever that it, that is. But if he's here on the 4th, we'll be ready to go."

Kelly also shared that his conversation with Kaepernick made him aware of the quarterback's health status. The San Francisco 49ers head coach described the NFL star's condition as "well," adding that Kaepernick is confident he is back on track for the practice sessions soon. Kelly further noted that regardless of the NFL rumors, the quarterback is mainly focused on his health which he shared to be "the biggest thing" for Kap at the moment.

Right now, the San Francisco 49ers and Kaepernick have yet to reach an agreement on the future of the quarterback. While Kap declared his desire to be traded, the football team has not shown any significant efforts regarding seeking partners for the deal. Moreover, the entry of Kelly in the staff pushed the NFL trade talks further. To further bolster the belief of some fans on the possibility of keeping Kaepernick in the San Francisco 49ers, the head coach shared his plans for the quarterback.

"If he's here on April 4, we're going to coach the heck out of him and he's going to work his ass off," said Kelly of Kaepernick and the future of the San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly also threw off balance those who believe that Kaepernick will be gone from the San Francisco 49ers roster during the NFL combine earlier this year. He said then, "I'm excited to work with Colin. I've never thought that, 'Hey, I'm going to go to San Francisco and he's not going to be there.' I don't know why everybody else looks at it that way, either."

Meanwhile, the Hayne Plane seems to be gearing up for the next NFL season. The Aussie star, who flourished in rugby, is currently one of the NFL hopefuls who aim to make it big in the football field. Despite his superstar status in his previous sport, Hayne recorded a lackluster performance in the past season - even going as far as marking his first NFL appearance with a fumble. However, the Hayne Plane seeks to improve in football and eventually make a name for himself in the NFL.

"He has the drive and motivation to keep going if he wants to," Kaepernick once commented of Hayne. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback added, "Ultimately, it's up to him how far he wants to take this."

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