With San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick being placed on season-ending injured reserve, speculation about where his once-promising career goes from here has begun.
The 49ers are in the midst of a tumultuous rebuild (Jim Tomsula!), and, with a team-friendly contract that gives them the option to cut bait on Kap, it seems inevitable the dual-threat QB will be moving on in the offseason.
A fresh start may be what Kaepernick needs to turn things around, but when you complete 59 percent of passes and get benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert, teams may be reluctant to give you a second chance.
Still, his athleticism, strong arm, and playmaking abilities are likely to get him another shot at starting - even if he has to battle an incumbent for the job.
Here are four potential landing spots for Kaepernick in 2015:
Philadelphia Eagles
The leading candidate to claim Kap off the scrap heap would be Chip Kelly, so this landing spot is contingent on Kelly keeping his job. Somehow, Kelly has earned a reputation as a QB whisperer, even though it's been two seasons since anyone has produced in his offense.
Pairing Kaepernick's skill set with the Eagles' uptempo offense makes sense on paper. But what happens when the Philly fans turn on the notoriously immature headphone enthusiast?
Houston Texans
Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and your mediocre quarterbacks. - Houston Texans football philosophy.
This pairing makes sense only because the Texans are desperate to bring in someone who doesn't need years to develop, hoping to capitalize on their defensive talent sooner than later.
The Ryan Mallett experiment may turn the franchise off from Kaepernick's perceived character flaws, but the Texans could do worse than pushing Brian Hoyer (or some equally milquetoast veteran) in training camp with a motivated Kaepernick.
Buffalo Bills
The Greg Roman connection makes the Bills an intriguing option. During his time as the 49ers' offensive coordinator, Roman got the most out of Kaepernick, allowing the young playmaker to use his legs and arm to flourish in a stripped-down, read-option offense.
The problem is the Bills seem to be all-in on Tyrod Taylor, who possesses a similar skill set but seemingly without Kap's accuracy issues. Still, we can all picture Rex Ryan banging the podium in defense of Kaepernick, heaping praise at the first sign of trouble.
If the organization is enamored with Kaepernick, Ryan may have little say in the matter anyway.
Kansas City Chiefs
Could Alex Smith lose his job to Kaepernick again?
Andy Reid has been known to try just about anything at the quarterback spot, turning to Mike Vick with the Eagles at one point. The Chiefs are contractually tied to Smith, but another late-season swoon could leave him out of a job.
A training camp battle a la 2012 could heat things up in Kansas City next season, but it's unlikely the Chiefs court this kind of drama with an otherwise steady roster looking to make a playoff run.
Shockingly, it might take an unsteady QB situation like Kansas City's to get Kaepernick back on the field. He has fallen far, and NFL teams are increasingly wary of committing to dual-threat options with uneven track records. Coming in as a backup may be his best, or only, shot.
