Last Friday, the 49ers placed Colin Kaepernick on season-ending injured reserve.
The move stunned former 49ers tight end Brent Jones.
"It's rare that a transaction will shock the heck out of me," Jones explained on KNBR 680-AM on Monday night. "On Friday, my wife got the text alert and said 'They just put Kap on IR.' And I go 'No they didn't...' I just went nuts. I got on my phone, tried to search and I was just flummoxed.
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"You know what the reality is here -- this was Roberto Duran. This was an absolutely, 'No mas,' by Kap and by the 49ers management. No more. I don't want you. I don't like you. And we don't want you. Because there's no way that is done with what I'm going to say is a minor injury. Yeah, it's problematic maybe, but you've been playing with it, it's not your throwing shoulder. You don't put the guy on IR and just say 'OK, that's it.' As a player you're just saying 'I give up. Yeah. I'm gonna go on IR and give up because I'm the backup.' That's so discouraging across the board. I can't remember any time in my athletic career where I've seen something like this happen. That's just bad."
Kaepernick underwent surgery Tuesday morning in Vail, Colorado to repair the labrum in his left shoulder, sources told CSNBayArea.com's Matt Maiocco.
Prior to the 49ers' game in Seattle on Sunday, Trent Baalke confirmed to reporters that Kaepernick first reported soreness in his left shoulder following the 49ers’ 17-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 4.
[REWIND: Baalke: Kaepernick's season-ending surgery was mutual decision]
San Francisco 49ers
“I know he was looked at after the Green Bay game, sought treatment and (then Kaepernick was) full-steam ahead,” Baalke said. “It wasn’t something at that point in time that was reportable (to the league’s injury report) because he went in and got it checked, and felt good and kept right on playing. (There) was no extensive rehab going on at that point in time.
“But those are injuries that they continue to nag and they get worse. And it came to a point where he just felt and the medical staff felt it was in his best interest to take a step back."
Kaepernick is scheduled to make $14.3 million next season, including his $11.9 million base salary that is guaranteed for injury. It also becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster on April 1, leading to rampant speculation that the 49ers will severe ties with Kaepernick early in the offseason.
"It feels to me like it was a give-up on both sides," Jones declared. "And you're gonna hear a ton of spin ... but nobody is gonna convince me different ... I believe that probably Kap drove it, very unhappy, and the 49ers just said, 'Great. We don't want you around either.'
"... I'd be absolutely blown away if he's on the team next year ... there's just no way. My only thing is if we could have traded him before the deadline, we should have done it and gotten something for him. Because we're gonna get next to nothing for him now ... what a strange deal ... well if we did get something for him it would be like a fourth or fifth round pick, and we'd pick somebody that can't play anyway so it wouldn't really matter."