Colin Kaepernick's final season with 49ers remembered fondly despite lack of wins

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Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.

And while Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem overshadowed his statistical accomplishments that year, his former teammate recalled the quarterback being a sparkplug for the team.

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“All the protest and the controversy aside, Kap was a ballplayer,” Kerley told The Athletic on Tuesday. “He’s a good ballplayer, you know what I mean? There’s a reason why San Fran paid him what they paid him. There’s a reason why they went to the Super Bowl.”

He added: “We were kind of missing [something] throughout the season, but when he came on, it’s like he kind of electrified the offense and got us going and stuff. It was unfortunate we couldn’t get more than one win out of it. But like I said, personally, my funnest time playing football was 2016.”

Kaepernick started the season not ready to play due to the three surgeries he had coming into the season. Blaine Gabbert was named the starter to begin the season but was eventually replaced by Kaepernick.

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While Kaepernick only won one game as a starter that season, he recorded 2,241 passing yards, 16 touchdown passes, and only four interceptions.

Former 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite told The Athletic the team didn’t win more games that season because of the personnel around Kaepernick.

“Kap was playing with scout-team players,” he said. “He wasn’t playing with starters. All the starters had either been hurt by the end of the year or weren’t trying to play by the end of the year because of the record. And so he was out there playing with dudes who would normally be on the scout team or practice squad. ... I think he was the best player on the team. I think by the end of the year, we were in games and won a game because of him.”

No wide receiver that year caught more than 60 percent of their targeted passes.

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The next season, Kaepernick opted out of his contract after being told the team was going to cut him anyway. He has not played a down in the NFL since.