And the plot thickens.
The San Francisco 49ers announced on Saturday that they have placed quarterback Colin Kaepernick on injured reserve.
Benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert prior to the team's Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Kaepernick's 49ers career is now all but over.
It's a tremendous turnabout for a tenure that got off to a roaring start after Kaepernick led San Francisco to the Super Bowl back in 2012.
Much maligned over the past couple seasons, Kaepernick took the fall for what was a disastrous first half of the 2015 campaign. At 3-6 on the season, San Francisco ranks dead last in the NFL in points per game at 14 and 30th in passing yards at 181.6 per game.
For his part, Kaepernick didn't do himself any favors in the eight games that he started. During that span, the former second-round pick put up just 1,615 yards and six touchdowns with five interceptions.
The question now becomes whether this injury impacts Kaepernick's contract. The remainder of his deal is guaranteed for injury only, meaning the shoulder injury he apparently suffered could impact how things play out.
The common belief was that part of San Francisco's reasoning for benching Kaepernick was to avoid having to pay out that guaranteed cash. If surgery is required, there's a chance he may end up actually receiving his full 2016 salary, even if he's not with the 49ers.
San Francisco promoted Dylan Thompson from the practice squad. This move also means Gabbert will be the team's starter for the remainder of the season.