Lots of discussion in this part of the country about Kaepernick's countract. Steven A. even weighed in on it. Part of the discussion is what the top 5 highest paid QB's out there are making under their current contracts. Here is the data:
1. Jay Cutler: 7 years, 126.7M total ($54M guaranteed)
2. Joe Flacco: 6 years, $120.6M total ($51M guaranteed)
3. Aaron Rodgers: 5 years, $110M total ($55M guaranteed)
4. Tony Romo: 6 years, $108M total ($55M guaranteed)
5. Matt Ryan: 5 years, $103.75M total ($59M guaranteed)
If you break it down by year, each of these guys stands to make $18M-$21M per year. And after Cutler got his, the question is: Should Kaepernick get a contract in the $18M-$21M per year range?
As both a 49er fan and a Kaepernick fan, I have very mixed feelings and am not sure to answer that. If you asked me that question in isolation and the only data you gave me was Flacco's contract and Rodgers' contract, my answer would be "no." I love the guy. I think he's talented. He has already taken the team great places, and is only getting started. But Flacco is a veteran and has taken his team on to a Lombardy trophy, not to mention the fact that he is way overpaid. Rodgers also is a vet, has a rink, and is one of the elite QBs in the league. No way Kaep should get paid quite what those guys get paid, at least, not yet.
But then you throw the others into the equation. Should Kaepernick make at least as much as Cutler, Romo, and Ryan? In the abstract, absolutely. He has more playoff wins in 2 years than all three of them combined, and has a record of 21-8. Yes, he had a great team behind him that he could not have done those things without. But by the same token, I don't think Romo, Cutler, or Ryan takes this same team to 21-8 and gets to the Superbowl and then the NFC championship, and comes within a score of winning each of those.
Overall, my gut tells me that that kind of money just feel like too much for such a young QB. On the other hand, when comparing to Cutler, Romo, and Ryan, he has already accomplished more than them and should be getting paid comparably. I honestly don't know what the answer is or should be.