Removing Colin Kaepernick’s injury guarantees saves the 49er’s $17 million! There is no guarantee you can remain injury-free when playing sports. Proper bodywork applied at regular intervals can decrease the risk of injury. It would be great if Kaepernick had a wellness plan in place to reduce injury risks.
Kaepernick’s Current Injury Guarantee Worth $17 Million
Less than 24 hours after the Levi’s Stadium crowd chanted “We want Kap! We want Kap!” during San Francisco’s 33-21 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday, it appears the 49ers are working toward a restructured contract with quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the 49ers and Kaepernick are closing in on a restructured contract that would alleviate concerns regarding injury guarantees in the quarterback’s current deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
A reworked Kaepernick contract, which could be completed as early as Friday, would include giving him an option to void the deal after this season. The restructured pact would potentially eliminate roughly $17 million in injury guarantees for 2017 and could dissolve the final three years of a six-year deal that currently keeps him under contract through 2020, Rapoport added.
A new deal would eliminate the risk of the 49ers having to pay out guarantees Kaepernick if he gets hurt this season and would allow Kaepernick a chance to potentially test the free-agent market. If these parameters were put in place, the 49ers likely would be more willing to play Kaepernick moving forward because their financial risk would be drastically reduced. read more at nfl.com
James Harrison, linebacker for the Steelers, has the right idea about taking care of his body to prevent injuries. Harrison spends between $400,000-$600,000 on body work. Kaepernick might consider doing the same if his contract no longer covers injury prevention.