The San Francisco 49ers plans for Colin Kaepernick remain a bit hazy, and part of that is due to his injury status. Kaepernick had surgery on his shoulder, thumb, and knee at various points over the last five months. Reports have been positive about his recovery, and on Wednesday, we got a little more detail from Mindi Bach.
Colin Kaepernick expects to need at least one more month before he is football-ready, source tells @MBachCSN. He's had no setbacks in rehab.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoCSN) April 6, 2016
Pro Football Talk brought up a good point in discussing what this injury news might mean. A month from now will be May 6. The 49ers hold their first OTAs May 17-19. If Kaepernick is healthy enough to participate in football activities, it increases the chances of injury. The 49ers suffered a brutal loss three years ago when Michael Crabtree tore his Achilles in OTAs. Odds are good Kaepernick stays healthy, but the risk is there.
The 49ers currently owe Colin Kaepernick $11.9 million in base salary. If they release him, they would owe him the difference between that and whatever salary he gets from another team. If he gets hurt at the 49ers offseason workout program, the team is stuck paying the full amount.
Again, an injury is not exactly a huge likelihood, but the potential exists. It adds one more wrinkle to the discussion.