You wouldn’t know it by watching him separate from defenders, but 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a titanium rod inserted in his left leg in 2011.
Kaepernick, 28, revealed the news about his surgery, caused by a stress fracture, to reporters Monday. It's unclear if the team was aware of the procedure.
“It’s just something I’ve learned to deal with,” Kaepernick said (via the San Jose Mercury News), adding it only bothers him “here and there.”
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Kaepernick, who has 1,834 career rushing yards, rehabbed from the surgery during the 2011 lockout after being selected in the second round of the draft out of Nevada. He backed up Alex Smith and attempted just five passes the following season.
On Nov. 21, Kaepernick was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn labrum in his left shoulder that was repaired three days later. Now he’ll go back for a second surgery to rapid a torn ligament in right thumb — an injury suffered in an Oct. 22 loss to Seattle and just recently diagnosed.
The 49ers, who are also searching for head coach after firing Jim Tomsula on Sunday, have a decision to make with Kaepernick, who has struggled after leading San Francisco to the playoffs in 2012 and 2013. He’s owed a guaranteed base salary of $11.9 million if he’s on the roster April 1.