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Colin Kaepernick's’ tenure with the San Francisco 49ers is not totally dead and there could be a chance the 29-year-old quarterback may be staying. Kaepernick met with general manager John Lynch and new coach Kyle Shanahan, a gathering that seemed to have ended on a positive note.

According to Lynch, discussions went well, though this does not indicate that Colin Kaepernick will remain with the 49ers. The controversial quarterback has the option to opt out of his contract this off-season, a move that could see him earn less, CSN Bay Area reported. But then again, the 49ers are not expected to pay him the $14.5 million in base salary due for the next season. A compromise could ensue meaning another round of talks to contract restructuring could happen.

Money aside, both sides stand to gain if they can smoothen out things. The 49ers are on the prowl for a quarterback with Shanahan hinting at wanting to get his hands on New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. If not, he is also interested in Matt Schaub of the Atlanta Falcons and Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins, ESPN reported.

If none of Kaepernick, Garoppolo, Cousins and Schaub materializes, the 49ers have a plan B. They can opt to pluck a quarterback from the 2017 NFL Draft with DeShaun Watson looming as the best of the crop. But even if they manage to draft Watson, the fact remains that the team needs a veteran to teach the former Clemson quarterback a thing or two about playing in the pros.

The easiest route to that is retaining Kaepernick, regardless of the controversies he has been tied up to. That includes kneeling in protest during national anthems and wearing Fidel Castro t-shirts last season. He did have his top moments which include that $1 million donations to groups affected by racial discrimination and police brutality, USA Today reported. Talks ended well but signing on the dotted line is another aspect that remains to be seen.