In a surprise, Colin Kaepernick showed up on the field at Broncos headquarters Wednesday, in pads and tossing a football. Three months after the Broncos flirted with the idea of trading to make Kaepernick their next quarterback, his arrival prompted some what-ifs.
What if Kaepernick’s $11.9 million salary this season, and $15.9 million salary cap hit, had fit into the Broncos’ budget? What if in the living room of the Broncos general manager had helped them agree on a pay cut? What if the Broncos had landed their target?
The possibility of Kaepernick in a Broncos uniform did not fade until Denver drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round in late April. That solidified a three-quarterback Broncos roster of Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and Lynch.
“We’ve moved on,” Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. “We wish Colin all the best, but we’ve moved on.”
Sanchez and Siemian remain co-No. 1s on the Denver depth chart. Kubiak is putting off naming a starter.
“Feel really good about our guys,” Kubiak said.
The San Francisco 49ers, who practiced with the Broncos on Wednesday at Dove Valley, have their own quarterback issues. Kaepernick has not thrown a pass since last week, missing the Niners’ first preseason game and four practice days. On Wednesday, he threw only on the sideline before practice and not during drills. San Francisco coach Chip Kelly described Kaepernick’s shoulder issue as tightness.
“He said he feels better as we go, but we’re not going to push him so we can have a proper evaluation,”
Kaepernick in the offseason spent time in Vail to rehabilitate after three surgeries in five months — on his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb. The Broncos traded for Mark Sanchez, getting him from the Philadelphia Eagles in March. They Denver wanted Kaepernick to create a three-armed race. The Broncos’ plan all along was a quarterback competition.
So what if Kaepernick was wearing Broncos orange this week instead of a 49ers red? Denver probably would be debating the same quarterback controversy — but one of them would be injured.
