Colin Kaepernick‘s $11.9 million salary is now officially guaranteed. The San Francisco 49ers, by not releasing or trading him by 1 pm PT today, have effectively announced that they will pay him his full salary for the upcoming year — unless, of course, a trade happens between now and the start of the NFL regular season.
This is a real possibility, as the salary is paid weekly and the 49ers will not be on the hook for any of the $11.9 million until September.
The guarantee of Kaepernick’s salary does come slightly earlier than April 1st due to league rules.