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Report: Kaepernick to void contract after season, could re-sign with 49ers

Kelley L Cox / USA TODAY Sports

Colin Kaepernick is almost certainly headed for free agency at season's end - that much we know.

As was the expectation upon signing a restructured deal in October, a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport cites several sources indicating the San Francisco 49ers quarterback will indeed void the remaining years on his contract.

Such a move would allow Kaepernick to hit the open market and field offers from teams around the league, potentially getting the fresh start that's long appeared a foregone conclusion.

But as the former second-round pick slowly settles into Chip Kelly's system, Rapoport's report also suggests Kaepernick could re-sign with the 49ers and continue as the club's starting quarterback in 2017.

San Francisco will presumably be in position to select a young signal-caller at the top of next year's draft, so the pending prospect evaluations could have an impact on the level to which the team values Kaepernick, who's rebounded well after a brief run of dominance was followed by a pair of less-than-impressive seasons.

Kaepernick has started six games since re-working his contract and taking over for an ineffective Blaine Gabbert. He enters Week 13 having completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,440 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions, while adding 373 yards and another score on the ground.

Throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns in last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins was far and away Kapernick's most impressive performance to date.

Kaepernick continuing to improve down the stretch would be tremendously beneficial as he approaches negotiations for another potential long-term deal. And as Kelly attempts to find a quarterback to build the offense around, it now appears possible that a front-runner is already on the roster.

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