New Rich Guy

The San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Colin Kaepernick to a six-year contract extension. It's a big one. I've seen numbers of $126-million total. $61-million of which is guaranteed. The numbers can be a little deceiving. It's been reported as a six-year contract but I see this as a seven-year, $126-million contract. He's getting some of it this year. It's a pay-as-you-go contract. The money becomes guaranteed as he moves through the years of the extension. Basically, he doesn't get the money if his career gets derailed in some way. If the 49ers and Kaepernick progresses well, the quarterback will be a rich one.

I keep seeing a decent amount of criticism over this contract. The critics seem to think that Colin Kaepernick hasn't earned this type of money. They say that his 23-regular season starts aren't enough. Kaepernick signed a franchise quarterback contract. Kaepernick is a franchise quarterback. It's really as easy as that. He's taken his team to the Super Bowl once. He was a pass away from doing it a second time. Quarterbacks are best judged by their play in the postseason. Not many quarterbacks have had this sort of postseason success so early in their careers. Kaepernick is among the most physically gifted quarterbacks to ever play the game. When I think of him on the football field I keep seeing the 26-yard touchdown pass that he threw to Anquan Boldin in the playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks. It was a bullet that was parallel to the ground the entire way. The ball never dropped in it's flight. Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was right in front of Boldin and couldn't do a thing about it. Thomas might have been frozen as he marveled at this laser. There might not be another quarterback that could have made that throw. Kaepernick still has a lot to learn. He has to be able to get past the first read in his progressions. His throwing has to become as consistently deadly as his running. If his understanding of what he's doing on the football field ever catches up with his natural skills, he'll be a nightmare for defenses for a long time. Certainly through his pricey six-year contract extension. Kaepernick is a franchise quarterback now and he's not even close to his ceiling. He deserves this contract. Besides, it might be considered a bargain by the time Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson sign their extensions.