ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Michael Brockers #90 of the St. Louis Rams sacks Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
Colin Kaepernick has been named the San Francisco 49ers‘ starting quarterback for the team’s Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, coach Chip Kelly announced Tuesday.
The move will surely benefit the 49ers, whose offense has struggled under starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s incredibly poor performances thus far this season.
Kaepernick, 28, has also signed his restructured deal with the 49ers to eliminate injury guarantees, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.
The reworked contract allows the quarterback the option to void the deal after the 2016 season. The restructured pact eliminates approximately $14.5 million in injury guarantees for 2017 and dissolves the last three years of a six-year deal that previously maintained him under contract through 2020, Rapoport adds. Kaepernick’s contract is now essentially a two-year deal.
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A former 46-man roster bonus has been converted to part of his base salary and a bonus will be triggered if Kaepernick–who became one of the most disliked players in the NFL after launching a protest by sitting during the national anthem during the preseason– plays half of San Francisco’s snaps this season.
The new contract will erase the risk of the 49ers needing to pay out any guarantees to the QB is he injured this season, and would allow Kapernick an opportunity to test the free-agent market in March.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter provided more details on Kapernick’s reworked contract.
The 49ers (1-4) will visit the Bills on Sunday. San Francisco is coming off four consecutive losses, the last two at home against the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals.
ST. LOUIS, MO – NOVEMBER 1: Michael Brockers #90 of the St. Louis Rams sacks Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
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