Earlier this week, new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who is widely known for his ability to get the most out of quarterbacks, explained why Colin Kaepernick wasn't a good fit in San Francisco and basically it boils down to this: "...[W]hen you bring in someone like [a dual-threat quarterback] then you're going to have to tinker the offense to fit one player, you've got to know you're tinkering every single person on that offense, too."
Shanahan's comments came not long after two of Kaepernick's former teammates lamented that they couldn't believe he was still looking for work.
"I think he's proven that he can play at this level," 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman told CSN Bay Area. "He's made a choice that's kind of had a little backlash from it. But I think he'll be fine."
And running back Carlos Hyde added: "I've seen some quarterbacks who got signed that, in my opinion, Kap is way better than."
And that sentiment is shared by other players outside of San Francisco. Here's Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall:
Here's the list of quarterbacks signed to new teams this offseson: Mike Glennon, Brian Hoyer, Geno Smith, Josh McCown, Nick Foles, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray and Matt Barkley. Worth noting: Hoyer and Barkley are currently the only quarterbacks on the 49ers' depth chart.
Last month, an AFC general manager told Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman that one reason Kaepernick remained unsigned was because "[S]ome teams fear the backlash from fans after getting him. They think there might be protests or [President Donald] Trump will tweet about the team."
Kaepernick, you may remember, began the 2016 season by taking a knee during the national anthem. It was how he chose to protest social inequality. It was also a controversial decision, one that transcended the sports world. Kaepernick will reportedly stand for the anthem next season. And while he waits for his next NFL opportunity, the quarterback is busy raising money to fly food and water to people in Somalia.
Meanwhile, there doesn't appear to be much momentum for the 49ers to address their glaring needs the position with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft -- none of the six CBSSports.com mock draft experts has them taking a quarterback; instead, Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, who has been compared to Michael Bennett, is the consensus selection.