Broncos General Manager John Elway said this week that the team may look outside the organization for a backup quarterback option.
If they do, it won’t be Colin Kaepernick.
“He had a chance to be here, he passed on it,” Elway said, via Lindsay Jones of USA Today.
Elway said on Thursday that he said the same thing when he was among many figures from the NFL deposed during Kaepernick’s collusion grievance earlier this year.
Assuming no offer was made since the end of the 2016 season (and it’s hard to imagine that would have stayed secret), that chance came before the 2016 season when Kaepernick was still a member of the 49ers and looking for a trade to another team. That was also before Kaepernick took a seat during the national anthem in the 2016 preseason and the reaction to that act is central to his collusion case.
The Broncos made a trade offer contingent on Kaepernick taking a pay cut to $7 million in order to make the move to Denver. Kaepernick, who had a guaranteed $11.9 million salary from the 49ers with more in bonuses, passed on that opportunity and played out the year for the Niners instead.
Chad Kelly has jumped Paxton Lynch for the No. 2 in Denver behind Case Keenum. Kelly, the final pick of the 2016 draft, has not played any regular season snaps after missing all of last season following wrist surgery.