Before the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks 29–13 Sunday, they placed former starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick on injured reserve (IR) Saturday because of a shoulder injury, ending his 2015 season.
According to a report on NFL.com, the decision for Kaepernick to be on the IR was mutual between him and the 49ers.
Kaepernick wanted to have surgery on his left shoulder (non-throwing) which reportedly he injured during their Oct. 4 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
Reports say Kaepernick heading to the IR was a bit surprising because he participated in practices and was listed as probable ahead of San Francisco's game against Seattle.
Replacing the 28-year-old quarterback on the 49ers' 53-man roster was rookie quarterback Dylan Thompson who will be serving as backup to the team's new starting passer Blaine Gabbert.
Before the injury that landed him on the IR, Kaepernick's performance was already declining with the team also struggling to win this 2015 season.
In nine games played this season including eight starts, the quarterback that led San Francisco to the Super Bowl in the 2013 season has 144 completions for 1,615 yards and six touchdowns, also throwing five interceptions.
Because of Kaepernick's struggles, he lost the starting job to Gabbert during their Week 9 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, which they surprisingly won, considering the season the Falcons are having.
Now the placing of Kaepernick on the IR poses a question regarding his future with the 49ers, who have struggled since they made it to the Super Bowl.
According to reports, San Francisco will be looking for possible trade deals to part ways with Kaepernick who was the starting quarterback since the 2012 season.
This means the 49ers will be moving forward with Gabbert at the quarterback position as they try to win their remaining games in the regular season and improve their slim playoff chances.
