Colin Kaepernick Placed on Injured Reserve

Colin Kaepernick’s season is officially over, and with it, so might be his career as a 49er.

The San Francisco quarterback advised team officials on Friday that he wanted to have surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. The franchise obliged, resulting in a surgery and recovery period that will keep him out of pads and cleats for the rest of 2015.

As a result, San Fran fans can expect to see more of the Blaine Train for the rest of this year, before hunkering down for another tumultuous offseason of speculation and change at the league’s most important position.

It has already been announced that Blaine Gabbert will retain the starting job for this season while quarterback Dylan Thompson has been promoted from the practice squad in Kap’s absence.

Gabbert did have a solid performance in a win against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago, but he could hardly be seen as the team’s long-term answer at quarterback.

Gabbert enjoyed the NFL’s version of “beginner’s luck” in the victory, wherein teams change quarterbacks halfway through the season and manage to pull off a surprising win in the backup’s first start, often due to a lack of game film and preparation on the part of the opposition.

With Kaepernick’s injury goes any chance of the young athlete being able to change the mind of the front office before his contractual future is decided. When Kap was benched to “get his head right,” it was expected that he would return as the starter and be given a chance to prove himself as the future of this team.

Now, the 49ers brass will have to make a move with only the resources they have. A big factor in that decision will be the $16.7 million Kaepernick is due in 2016, and the near $20 million he stands to make the season after that. It’s hard to see the Niners continuing to invest so heavily in a player that has regressed so drastically.

Kap’s lack of weapons hasn’t exactly helped, but this is the NFL, where the quarterback is always at fault and nobody else matters.