Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is out with his memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” and he’s not holding back on the 2016 season, flat out suggesting the team was in “full ‘tank’ mode.” Yeah, you read that right. According to Kaepernick, the Niners weren’t actually trying to win football games that year, a season where they stumbled to a brutal 2-14 record amid a front office mess.
The “Tank” Mode Accusation From Kaepernick Himself
Kaepernick’s perspective on his time under head coaches Jim Tomsula in 2015, which he called “a disaster,” and Chip Kelly in 2016, is finally hitting shelves. While it’s common knowledge he was rehabbing from injury when Kelly named Blaine Gabbert the starter, and there were whispers about injury guarantees on his restructured contract, Kaepernick’s deep dive on the 2016 team is the real shocker. He wrote that the 49ers “appeared to be in full ‘tank’ mode.” The public line was it was a “rebuilding” year for Kelly’s first season, but Kaepernick claims they had “no plan to go get the talent Coach Kelly wanted.” He even used the wide receiver situation as Exhibit A, saying the team’s top wideout that year was maybe “the number five or six receiver on a different team.” If you look at Jeremy Kerley leading the team with just 516 receiving yards, it’s pretty clear what he means. Kaepernick put it bluntly: “The team didn’t get us another receiver.”
Missing Talent, Massive Cap Space, and a Boiling Hot Seat
This isn’t just about a lack of talent. Kaepernick pointed out that the 49ers had money to spend, something like “$40 million in salary cap space,” but they just didn’t do it. Their lack of spending in free agency in both 2015 and 2016 was a head-scratcher then, and it looks even worse with these new revelations. It sure seems to back up the idea that winning wasn’t the top priority. Owner Jed York publicly told then-GM Trent Baalke he wasn’t satisfied after Tomsula got the boot, making it clear Baalke’s job was on thin ice. Was the team trying to bottom out for a better draft pick, instead of actually building a competitive roster? It wouldn’t be surprising given everything Kaepernick is laying out.
So, as you read “The Perilous Fight,” get ready for a deep dive into what really went down in the 49ers locker room during those chaotic years. This memoir isn’t just a look back, it’s a completely new lens on one of the most dysfunctional periods in that franchise’s history.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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