As the Broncos prepare to face the 49ers for the first time since Peyton Manning picked Denver as his second career team, plenty of reflecting has occurred regarding the notorious “evaluation” of Manning by the 49ers. But he won’t be the only quarterback in the game who was “evaluated” by the other team.
Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News explains that the Broncos took a close look at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick prior to the 2011 draft.
“I’ve always held Colin in high regard,” Broncos coach John Fox said, via Inman. “We brought him to Denver to talk [before the 2011 draft], a guy we thought very highly of. It doesn’t surprise me he’s had a lot of success.”
The rarely chatty Kaepernick didn’t have much to say about his visit with the Broncos: “Talked to a few of the coaches. That was about it.”
Inman points out that the Broncos traded the second-round pick to the 49ers that became Kaepernick.
It’s unclear whether the Broncos were serious about picking Kaepernick. The year before, the Broncos had devoted a first-round pick to Tim Tebow, who would become the starter during the 2011 season. Given the speed with which the Broncos dumped Tebow once they signed Manning, maybe they would have welcomed the chance to make Kaepernick their quarterback.
Which may have reduced the likelihood of signing Manning. Which could have made the 49ers’ consideration of Manning something more than an “evaluation.”
