Given Colin Kaepernick's current status with the San Francisco 49ers, the team could trade him for a more reliable backup quarterback to Blaine Gabbert. According to rumors, this potential deal could involve Tom Savage of the Houston Texans.
Savage and the rest of the Texans just came from their second win in the 2016 NFL season after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday with a 7-point lead. The team was led by starting QB Brock Osweiler, the former backup of the Denver Broncos.
With Osweiler showing Houston that the Texans have hit the jackpot in signing him, the team could be more open to trading away Savage. One likely new home for the backup QB could be the 49ers, a team that is currently struggling with their own quarterback lineup.
The San Francisco franchise entered the season with Gabbert taking on the starter position, which leaves Kaepernick as his backup. One of the main reasons he got demoted was because of his overall physical condition and performance, and not due to his political stance.
As noted by NFL insider Jay Glazer, Kaepernick will most likely get released from the team if he fails to show that he's improving.
"Regardless of politics or not, he has a very, very big uphill battle to make this team," Glazer said. "I'd be shocked is he's on the 49ers by the time this season ends. It has nothing to do with political views whatsoever."
"He lost a ton of weight this offseason, had three surgeries, couldn't work out, lost that double threat, that size-speed ratio," he added. "No political views, he just hasn't been effective. He's regressing as a player. I'd be shocked if he's on the roster by the end of this year."
However, cutting Keapernick will leave the 49ers with only Gabbert and Christian Ponder manning the team's QB bench, which is not ideal. In order to maintain some form of depth to their lineup, the 49ers need to look for someone who could take Kaepernick's place.
Seeing how the Texans are performing with their current starting QB, they have the leeway to lose Osweiler's backup to San Francisco in exchange for Kaepernick. Houston can either promote Brandon Weeden to the No. 2 spot or keep Kapernick as Osweiler's backup.
For the 49ers, on the other hand, Savage could serve as an experienced and reliable backup to Gabbert.
