Most of the offseason, the only news surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was when he was going to iron out a contract extension with the team.
But Kaep has made headlines for a very different reason Thursday.
According to TMZ Sports, Kaepernick is being investigated for a possible sexual assault in a hotel in Miami, Fla. TMZ identifies law enforcement as its source, explaining that the alleged incident is in its “beginning stages” and that no charges are currently being filed.
TMZ Sports stated it reached out to both Kaepernick’s agent and the Niners organization, but has not been able to get a comment from either.
Despite the pending investigation, Kaepernick was out partying Saturday night into Sunday morning at the Viceroy Hotel “with a smile on his face,” per TMZ Sports.
How this alleged charge will impact Kaepernick receiving his extension with the team remains unknown. Jim Harbaugh is a no-nonsense type of coach, and off-the-field incidents could cloud the quarterback’s future with the organization. Previously, 49ers team owner Jed York and general manager Trent Baalke both expressed an intention to give Kaepernick a contract extension prior to the start of the regular season.
“I think there’s a lot that he’s done that has put him in that position where he should be paid like one of the top quarterbacks in the league,” York said of Kaep, who has led the Niners to the NFC Championship game in each of the past two seasons piloting the offense. “And I think that’s where we’ll end up. … We hope we get it done soon.”
Kaepernick is due for a pretty hefty pay raise, if and when the extension gets done. And because of the sourcing of this investigation and because no files have been charged at this point, it’s unsure how much weight this rumor actually carries.
