Three surgeries made one move inevitable. San Francisco had until 2 p.m. Thursday to release quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but with his base salary guaranteed for injury, the deadline passed with Kaepernick remaining in place. The Broncos have expressed interest in trading for the quarterback, but talks have cooled for multiple reasons: the acquisition price and Kaepernick’s contract.
Denver ranks last in available salary cap space with less than $2 million. For any deal to gain momentum, Kaepernick would have to be willing to restructure his contract. Had he become a free agent — which would have likely led to a grievance filed — the Broncos could have negotiated directly with him. Thursday’s decision by San Francisco does not preclude a deal, though Denver has shown no interest in moving a second round draft pick.
There remains a possibility the 49ers will keep an open mind about moving Kaepernick, who has requested a trade, but it might not heat up again until the draft begins on April 28.
The Broncos continue to look at all options as they attempt to add competition for Mark Sanchez. They have expressed interest in free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick, talked internally about Tampa Bay’s Mike Glennon, Cleveland’s Josh McCown and Houston’s Brian Hoyer, and will host draft prospects Dak Prescott and Jeff Driskel.
