The San Francisco 49ers are going to have to pay up if they want to keep quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Earlier this week it was reported that Kapernick was seeking a deal similar to the ones handed out to Tony Romo and Jay Cutler. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that Kaepernick will not sign a deal for anything less than $20 million as he sees himself as a top five quarterback in the NFL.
Kaepernick is apparently fine with betting on himself ala Joe Flacco. The Baltimore Ravens felt the sting of that deal after he led the team to a Super Bowl two years ago.
La Canfora writes:
So, Kaepernick, if he signs a contract extension with the 49ers, will be doing so in the range of $20 million per season, putting him among the top five or six salaries in the history of the game. Otherwise, he’ll play for his $1M in 2014 and then force the issue with the 49ers as to whether they franchise him, or sign him to what will in all likelihood be an even more massive contract come 2015 if this kid continues to develop as rapidly as he has to this point. And you can go ahead and ask the Ravens if they would have preferred to have Flacco signed at around $16.6M annually, as they could have in 2011, or Flacco at $20.1M annually, as was the case when he put pen to paper after winning the Super Bowl following the 2012 season.
La Canfora goes on to talk about a bunch of stats but the biggest ones are the wins. Kaepernick has led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game in each of the last two seasons. Whether it is $18 million or $21 million the fact is Kaepernick is going to get paid. How the deal is structured will go a long way to determining how the 49ers are put together for the next decade.
