It was widely assumed the Colin Kaepernick era in San Francisco was done.
That was the prevailing thought when the supposed franchise quarterback was sent to the bench in favor of Blaine Gabbert after a disastrous first half of the 2015 season.
With a contract designed to allow the 49ers the ability to part ways with Kaepernick after each season - with little financial impact for doing so - it seemed logical for both parties to get a fresh start in 2016.
However, the 49ers made the biggest coaching splash so far this offseason, naming Chip Kelly their new head coach. Now, suddenly, Kaepernick could have a shot at redemption in San Francisco.
Kelly was reportedly trying to find a way to sign or trade for Kaepernick, regardless of where he continued his NFL coaching career, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
That says volumes about how highly Kelly thinks of Kaepernick, that he wanted him wherever he ended up.
The myths of Kelly's system
There are a few misconceptions about the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach's offensive system. It's always been said he requires athleticism to run his offense, but the list of NFL quarterbacks he's worked with says otherwise.
Mark Sanchez, Sam Bradford, and Nick Foles were Kelly's primary quarterbacks in Philadelphia. While all are decent athletes, and have the ability to scramble, none were the type of dual-threat quarterbacks that Kelly supposedly coveted.
Bradford was the one quarterback Kelly picked himself - trading for him from the St. Louis Rams - and he's a pocket passer with the ability to move around and throw accurate passes all over the field.
Kaepernick has proven he isn't that type of quarterback. His lack of pocket presence and inability to make consist reads or accurate throws led to him losing his job to Gabbert.
But, Kelly could see Kaepernick as a passer he can mold - one that possesses the athleticism to truly run his beloved plays from his time with Oregon, and his deficiencies could be masked by Kelly's system.
While his accuracy might be a stumbling block, Kaepernick could excel because of the way Kelly likes to run his offense. Kaepernick won't be asked to make complex reads, or spend too much time diagnosing defenses. The offense will give him simpler decisions of where to go with the football, and will use a multi-faceted run game to make sure the offensive burden isn't all on him. Much of the audibling process will move to the sidelines, and Kaepernick can focus on playing within himself and using his legs to cause havoc.
Earlier in his career, Kaepernick flashed the potential to be a transcendent talent. His spectacular arm talent and off-the-charts running ability made him seem like the next step in quarterback evolution. Now, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has taken over that role, but it's possible Kaepernick could reclaim it, with the right direction.
It's easy to envision Kelly thinking of himself as the man to do that.
Kaepernick's competition
It's very unlikely Kaepernick will be given the keys to the castle without some competition.
Gabbert could be kept as a stop-gap quarterback, as he holds a lot of similar traits to the quarterbacks Kelly has used. Kelly could look to one of those familiar names, too, with Bradford a free agent, and Sanchez and Foles possibly available.
Then there are other high-profile reclamation projects that will inevitably be linked to Kelly and his offense. Soon-to-be-available pivots Johnny Manziel and Robert Griffin III could be just as good a fit as Kaepernick in his offense, and likely at a much cheaper price.
The 49ers also hold the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and could choose to give Kelly something he's never had: a rookie quarterback of his choosing to mentor.
Kaepernick will face some stiff competition to regain his status as the 49ers starter, but his chances appear to have greatly increased after Kelly's hiring.
The two might finally have found their perfect partners in one another, and a successful partnership would mean redemption for both.
