San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick faces a significant decision in the next month, and he will be making it with new representation. Matt Barrows is reporting that Kaepernick is formally changing agents, leaving XAM Sports. The NFLPA agent database does not include Kaepernick, which happens when a player is without an agent. The union requires a five-day waiting period before a player hires a new agent.
This is not a surprising development. Kaepernick had Jeff Nalley of Select Sports Group handle his restructuring last October. It seemed inevitable that he would formally depart XAM. He had been with XAM since coming out of college, and they had negotiate his previous long-term deal.
Kaepernick has until the week of March 2nd to decide whether or not to opt out of his current contract. He has between March 2nd and March 7th to make the decision. New general manager John Lynch said Kaepernick reached out to him after the former safety came on board. Lynch said they will sit down to discuss the situation and figure out what is next. Kaepernick could have simply opted out and walked away next month, but given the past relationship with Trent Baalke, it is not surprising Kaepernick would at least want to touch base with the new GM. Add in Kyle Shanahan’s work with quarterbacks, and it is a conversation that makes sense. It does not mean anything will come of this with regard to Kaepernick sticking around, but it is a decent start to the relationship, however short-term it might be.