49ers' Kaepernick placed on season-ending IR; will reportedly undergo shoulder surgery
Two weeks after being benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick's season has come to an end.
The San Francisco 49ers placed the quarterback on injured reserve Saturday, shutting him down for the season. Kaepernick appeared on the team's injury list Wednesday with a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury, but was listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Kaepernick informed the 49ers on Friday that he wants to undergo shoulder surgery, which prompted the team to place him on IR, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee also reports that Kaepernick has a "significant tear" in his labrum and that he could undergo surgery as early as Tuesday.
Kaepernick made eight starts for the 49ers this season, completing 144-of-244 passes for 1,615 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 256 yards and a touchdown on 45 carries.
The 28-year-old has a base salary of $11.9 million for 2016, which is guaranteed for injury only if he's still on the roster on April 1. Releasing him before then would clear $9,368,493 of cap space for the 49ers.
Undrafted rookie Dylan Thompson has been promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and will serve as Gabbert's backup Sunday.