The Facts: Kaepernick has touched base with his employer. The quarterback visited the team's Santa Clara headquarters on Wednesday, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. "I would characterize it as a really positive discussion ... Colin left excited," new GM John Lynch told KNBR-AM in San Francisco after the visit.
Diehards Line:
The meeting comes one day after Lynch told 95.7 The Game that he and first-year coach Kyle Shanahan planned to "communicate" with the 29-year-old signal-caller, saying: "I think that's very important for both sides. Like everything else, that process is well in the works. We'll continue to do that and we'll be very up-front with him, in terms of what we're thinking and we'll want to know what he's thinking, as well." Lynch also said the team's evaluation of Kaepernick is "very much fluid." As NFL.com's Marc Sessler notes, it's a refreshing approach by the 49ers, but Kaepernick is widely expected, on March 2, to opt out of a contract set to pay him $16.9 million in salary and bonuses. What unfolded between the team and passer behind closed doors on Wednesday could impact that decision. So could San Francisco's pursuit of another starter -- namely Washington's Kirk Cousins or New England's Jimmy Garoppolo. If Shanahan can wrestle away either in a trade -- assuming the Redskins tag Cousins -- then paying Kaepernick his hefty salary makes zero sense. ... Stay tuned.