5 options at quarterback if 49ers lose Jimmy Garoppolo to injury

Option No. 5: 49ers bring back Colin Kaepernick

This is going to make some people mad, so let’s just do our best to let the political and social side of things go by the wayside a bit here.

There’s another hurdle to consider with a potential Niners reunion with quarterback Colin Kaepernick: the fact San Francisco was going to cut Kap in 2017 if he didn’t opt out of his contract that year, at least according to John Lynch. An additional hurdle is the fact Kaepernick hasn’t played since 2016.

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Yet while the 49ers went 2-14 that year under one-and-done head coach Chip Kelly, Kaepernick still produced a 16-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 90.7 passer rating amid one of the worst offensive rosters in recent San Francisco history.

Kaepernick will turn 33 years old this season, and it’s anyone’s guess if he still has the abilities he displayed during his heyday years of 2012 and 2013. Probably not. But as a backup, potentially someone capable of competing with Nick Mullens in the wake of a Jimmy Garoppolo injury, it’s not the worst option out there if one chooses to either accept or ignore the controversy and discussion Kaepernick was involved with back in 2016 and ever since.

Simply put, if he helped the team win, it would be hard to argue otherwise.

As far as the reality of it happening, it probably wouldn’t. But it has to be viewed as an option, although the 49ers are much more strongly hoping for a fully healthy season from Jimmy G.

Or at least Mullens delivering well enough in a backup role, should Garoppolo get hurt.