Colin Kaepernick remains on the San Francisco 49ers' roster and a trade appears dim, at best. Barring the Niners outright cutting him, Kaepernick seems destined to spend 2016 in the Bay Area, which means a quarterback battle with Blaine Gabbert.
In order to win the job, Kaepernick must be healthy after undergoing offseason surgeries to his non-throwing shoulder, throwing-hand thumb and knee. He's taken a step in that direction.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reported Tuesday that Kaepernick resumed throwing a "bit." The quarterback is expected to get full clearance near the end of this month or in early June. It's the latest sign of progress after Kap resumed weight training last month and shadowed the other quarterbacks during minicamp last week.
The 49ers didn't draft a quarterback until Jeff Driskel in the sixth round, paving the way for Kaepernick or Gabbert to start in Chip Kelly's first season.
Kap offers a lot of intrigue in Kelly's system and owns the larger contract, which could tip the scales in his favor if the competition is close. To earn the starting job, the quarterback must be healthy. Throwing footballs is the first step in testing that health.
