Colin Kaepernick clearly has some holes in his game, but he’s already pretty good.
But 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh expects his quarterback to take another step this season, which would set him up for well more than $6 million.
“I really expect a real breakout year for Colin,” Harbaugh said, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “Athletically, he looks bionic. If you all remember the ‘Six Million Dollar Man,’ that’s what he looks like to me.
“He’s very gifted and he always has been. He has the look and feel of a guy who’s really going to break out – even more so than he already has. I’m really excited about everything about his game right now.”
Kaepernick has been efficient enough in the passing game to make his running skills (and those of Frank Gore) more valuable, but the 49ers have made a concerted effort to surround him with more targets this offseason.
With Michael Crabtree healthy again and Stevie Johnson added to the mix with Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis and Brandon Lloyd and some young players, there’s a chance they might actually be able to diversify their offense this year.
“It’s something that coach has mentioned to me that you need to be able to do what we do within our system,” Kaepernick said. “And as long as my footwork is good and I’m delivering the ball quickly and precisely, he’s happy with what I’m doing.”
If he can improve as a passer, the decision to give him the massive contract he’s in line for will be easier to justify, even though $6 million might only buy them about five games’ worth.