SANTA CLARA -– Quarterback Colin Kaepernick returned to the 49ers’ sideline on Sunday for the team’s final game of the season.
It was the first 49ers game Kaepernick attended since going on season-ending injured reserve and undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on Nov. 24.
Injured players do not travel with the 49ers, and the club said Kaepernick was not allowed on the sideline for previous games at Levi’s Stadium due to injury concerns. Kaepernick is no longer wearing a sling on his left arm.
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Kaepernick faces an uncertain future with the 49ers. If the 49ers decide to make a coaching change, the new head coach will likely determine whether Kaepernick returns next season to the 49ers under his scheduled $14.3 million pay.
The 49ers would get an approximate $3 million credit on Kaepernick's 2016 salary based on the number of games he missed this season.