Baalke: Kaepernick expected to be with 49ers in 2016

Wire reports

INDIANAPOLIS

San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said Wednesday he expects quarterback Colin Kaepernick to be with the 49ers next season.

Asked at the NFL combine if Baalke foresees a return to the team by Kaepernick, who lost his job during 2015 to Blaine Gabbert, he replied “absolutely.”

Kaepernick went 2-6 in eight starts before being benched. His future in San Francisco seemed uncertain, but with the hiring of Chip Kelly as coach, Kaepernick’s style would seem a good fit. Kelly prefers mobile quarterbacks who can throw on the run, but Kaepernick will need to improve his accuracy and decision making.

Kaepernick is recovering from medical procedures on his right thumb, his left knee, and on his non-throwing left shoulder to fix a torn labrum. His $11.9 million 2016 contract becomes fully guaranteed for injury April 1 if he’s on the roster.

“I think the good thing is we’ve got two guys that have gone into games and proven they can play,” Baalke said. “And Colin’s done some awful good things through his career, won some big games for the San Francisco 49ers and (we) expect him to come back. The main focus right now is health, getting him healthy. He’s doing a good job with his rehab. Talking to the medical staff, that seems to be going very well, and (we) just look forward to getting him back and getting him working with this coaching staff.”

Kelly is not scheduled to speak to the media at the combine.

YOUNGSTOWN CONNECTION?

The 49ers’ 2016 schedule includes games in Atlanta, Carolina, Buffalo, Miami and Chicago. Baalke said it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was a stopover in Youngstown to break up some of those long road trips.

“Coach (Chip Kelly) is real open to that, and it makes sense when you travel east coast,” Baalke said. “Obviously one of the things we have to improve on is how to win on the road. We were a different team — a remarkably different team — at home than we were on the road last year.”

Four of the 49ers’ five wins in 2015 were at Levi’s Stadium. Their only road win was in overtime against the Chicago Bears.

The 49ers stayed in Youngstown, which is home for the York family that owns the team, in 2011 and 2012. They swept the games before and after the 2011 visit and were 1-1 the following year.

Though the 49ers know their opponents, the schedule won’t be released until April. The 49ers traveled more than any team last year, nearly 28,000 miles.