
Free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft have passed, and Colin Kaepernick remains on the 49ers roster.
The quarterback has continued rehabilitating, and is even throwing a little bit, according to general manager Trent Baalke.
But can Kaepernick come back from three surgeries and reclaim his spot atop the 49ers' depth chart?
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"I think it's going to be a little tough (for Kaepernick to earn the starting job)," Reggie Wayne told NFL Network on Wednesday.
[MAIOCCO: 49ers GM Baalke: Kaepernick 'is slinging it a little bit']
"I just think with (Kaepernick's) injury, it's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication. And I'm not sure -- I don't know Kaepernick personally, I don't know what his work ethic is -- but it's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication to get back to where he wants to be."
Wayne spent 14 NFL seasons catching passes from Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, where he made 82 career touchdown grabs and won a Super Bowl ring.
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The six-time Pro Bowler went on to provide a wide receiver's perspective on the 49ers' quarterback situation.
"Now, I think the biggest question is, how do his teammates feel about him? You know, me as a receiver, and I'm looking at my options, I'm kind of wondering where am I going to fit in in this. Who's my quarterback going to be? The two quarterbacks I have, are they pretty good quarterbacks? I don't know.
"So it's a decision on the team I think everybody needs to come together with and find a way to rally behind these guys and find out which one is the best guy."
Kaepernick underwent multiple surgeries recently, and requested a trade from the 49ers this offseason.
The 49ers' quarterbacks consist of Kap, Blaine Gabbert, Thad Lewis, Dylan Thompson and 2016 sixth-round draft pick Jeff Driskel.
"I think you can come back (from drama in locker room), but it starts now," Wayne added. "And right now he's rehabbing, and I think he can show through his rehab how dedicated he is at getting back out there with his teammates. It's a new season."