Blaine Gabbert all but put the nail on the coffin that is Colin Kaepernick's 49ers career.
Gabbert led San Francisco to a 17-16 upset of the Falcons on Sunday, just hours after CBS Sports reported that Kaepernick is "virtually certain" not to return to the 49ers in 2016.
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"Trust between the player -- viewed as a franchise quarterback and potential superstar when leading the team to the Super Bowl just three years ago -- and the organization has eroded to the point where any cosmetic attempts to rebuild bridges are essentially a lost cause, and the prospect of Kaepernick actually playing there next season are viewed as a non-starter," CBS Sports reported.
Kaepernick is due upwards of $15 million in 2016, but the team-friendly contract he signed in 2014 allows San Francisco to release him before April 1, 2016, and it would be free and clear of the remainder of the seven-year, $126 million contract he signed before the start of the 2014 season.
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Where will the quarterback, on track for a solid career as recently as two years ago, go to try repair his reputation?
Washington
The Redskins' offense is used to having a mobile quarterback under center; it was not so long ago that Robert Griffin III was in charge of the offense until he lost favor with the team last season and is currently the third-string quarterback in Washington. Kirk Cousins is the starter, but he has not proven himself to be the quarterback of the future.
Philadelphia
This appears to make a lot more sense, both for Kaepernick and the team. Chip Kelly's offense would add a dimension sorely lacking with Sam Bradford under center -- a quarterback that can make plays with his feet and make defenses fear the read option. Bradford got a reprieve from his own struggles Sunday night, leading the Eagles to a game-winning drive in overtime over the Cowboys. But Bradford is not signed beyond this year and has a half-season to turn his fortunes around and convince the Eagles he is their quarterback of the future.
Houston
Starter Brian Hoyer barely beat out the train wreck that was Ryan Mallett, and coach Bill O'Brien might be willing to gamble if the price is right. O'Brien, like former Kaepernick mentor Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco, is a former college coach who may know how to get the best out of the quarterback. Defensive end J.J. Watt is the face of the team, so Kaepernick could play his role without the pressure he had to start the 2015 season with the 49ers.
New York Jets
The Jets have done an incredible job with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback, and talent-wise, Kaepernick is an upgrade. The Jets have the ground game, with Chris Ivory, and defense that would help Kaepernick settle in like he did when he took over for Alex Smith in San Francisco in 2012. Fitzpatrick, however, is one of the smartest quarterbacks in the league, and Kaepernick has lost the ability to lead the team in the face of adversity that he would have to prove.
Denver
There's no way Kaepernick could replace the field-general leadership of Peyton Manning, but the Broncos most resemble the 2012 49ers that went to the Super Bowl with Kaepernick, a strong ground game and a strong defense. Kaepernick does have the arm strength that Manning no longer seems able to exhibit on a consistent basis.
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