On Tuesday, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported that quarterback Colin Kaepernick wants to leave the 49ers and that the Jets are his preferred next team.
The Jets’ top receiver isn’t lobbying for that change in address. During an appearance on ESPN Wednesday, Brandon Marshall said that he thinks Kaepernick is good but that the team has its quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“I don’t want Kaepernick,” Marshall said. “I think he’s good. My guy’s Fitz. It’s nothing against Kaepernick. … I have my quarterback, so I’m good.”
Mehta’s report was followed by one from Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that quoted “a person familiar with the situation” saying they had “no idea where [the idea Kaepernick wants to go to the Jets] came from” and that it wasn’t true. Whatever Kaepernick’s feelings, there’s a lot to play out before we’ll know what his deal will be in 2016.
The 49ers have until April 1 to decide if they want to keep Kaepernick at his current contract, which would pay him $11.9 million for the 2016 season, and they could trade him before that point to any other team in the league. The Jets, meanwhile, have said repeatedly that re-signing Fitzpatrick is a top offseason priority. His return would leave any new arrival to vie for a backup spot, something that wouldn’t seem to be as appealing to Kaepernick as a chance to compete for a starting job in San Francisco or elsewhere.