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Colin Kaepernick Ends Off-Season Silence, Reveals Who He’s Not Spoke To In Months

By Ernie Howell
Published on: 12:23 PST, Jun 10, 2016

Colin Kaepernick finally broke his long off-season silence, speaking with media outlets about his roller coaster of a year on, and off, the football field, according to multiple media reports.

Much of the discussion centered around a reported demand by Colin Kaepernick to be traded this off-season, Fox Sports reported. Kaepernick discussed the rumors, citing a desire to test the waters and evaluate options he might have available to leave the San Francisco 49ers, he said.

“Organizations at the end of the season go through and evaluate personnel and opportunities, and that was something I sat down with my team and did the same thing… Once again, we were looking at different opportunities. I really don’t want to get into specifics of what happened and why things happen. At this point everything is football.”

Potentially, Colin Kaepernick was referencing NFL rumors earlier this season that suggested the quarterback could land with the Denver Broncos as the defending NFL champions were in the market for a signal caller, the Inquisitr previously reported. Prior to the 2016 NFL Draft, everything seemed to be pointing in that direction, including comments by Broncos’ president John Elway suggesting a trade could be in the works.

Ultimately, Colin remained with the San Francisco 49ers for multiple reasons. Chief among the reasons that Denver didn’t pursue Kaepernick further was the price tag that came with the former Super Bowl starter. With less than $10 million in available cap space, the Broncos decided to pass on Colin Kaepernick and his $15.9 million salary this season.

With the distractions of a potential trade over, Colin can focus on football and his teammates on the San Francisco 49ers. According to NFL.com, Kaepernick feels like he’s matured after his off-season experience.

“I’m definitely not the same person,” Colin Kaepernick explained. “Being able to grow… I took a big step this off-season.”

The 49ers former starting quarterback explained that he is excited that the rumors of potential trades are behind him. Colin Kaepernick noted he was excited to return to the field under new San Francisco head coach Chip Kelly.

“I’m excited to be with Chip [Kelly] and these coaches. Everything’s coming along, progressing as planned. At this point I can really start getting rolling. I’m excited to get back on the field, get healthy and be ready for this training camp.”

One piece of news could be interpreted as either good or bad for the quarterback, as Colin admitted that he still hasn’t spoken with one member of the NFL franchise’s front office. Reportedly, Kaepernick hasn’t spoken with San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in several months, according to a NBC affiliate’s report. The friction could be a result of the trade request by Colin Kaepernick to leave the only NFL team he’s played for, or it could be a result of losing his starting role to Blaine Gabbert midway through last season.

Other NFL rumors suggested that the Philadelphia Eagles may pursue a trade with the San Francisco 49ers during the off-season. After securing the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft — a selection the team used on quarterback Carson Wentz — the Eagles’ Sam Bradford was being considered expendable despite being the starter last season. Colin Kaepernick could have been cut or traded had Philadelphia and San Francisco completed a trade for Sam Bradford.

Robert Griffin III was a part of another set of NFL rumors that would have left Colin Kaepernick as the odd man out in San Francisco. The rub on this rumor was that the team had to find a trade partner for Colin prior to adding the former Washington Redskins signal caller. Kaepernick appeared to be willing to make the change as the quarterback had requested a trade.

What do you think about Colin Kaeperick finally breaking his silence on his situation with the San Francisco 49ers? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

[Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]

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denver broncos robert griffin III blaine gabbert Sam Bradford San Francisco 49ers John Elway Colin Kaepernick Chip Kelly
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