49ers raise price for Russell Wilson by signing Colin Kaepernick to 6-year extension

The San Francisco 49ers have signed Colin Kaepernick to a new contract. A big new contract. The deal will keep Kaepernick in San Francisco through 2020 and cost the 49ers up to $126 million at most and $60 million at least. According to the numbers from OvertheCap.com (before they've updated with this info) that's the most guaranteed money ever given to a quarterback.

It's clear by now, if it wasn't already, that quarterbacks are being paid successively more and more and not correlating dollar value to actual value. That's not to say that Kaepernick isn't a good player that you want to lock down for six more years, because he probably is, but he is not the best quarterback in football. Even though he's being paid like it. Right now it's just better to be a good player that is next in line to be paid.

"Next in line," eh? Oh, hi Russell Wilson and Russell Wilson's agent.

It's not just a matter of Wilson being next in line to get a new deal, which will almost certainly happen in 2015, he also does happen to be better than Kaepernick. He's made nine more starts, he won the Super Bowl (once, so far), he throws more touchdowns and more yards per attempt. Kaepernick has thrown interceptions at a lesser rate and is probably a better runner than Wilson. Some would still probably prefer to have the 6'4 Kaepernick over the 3'3 Wilson.

But Wilson is probably going to be paid more than Kaepernick either way.

If Kaepernick is getting a $21 million APY for six years and $60M guaranteed, Wilson could be looking at something a touch higher than that. Before anyone decides to make the comment down below (and you will, even after I write this sentence) that Wilson is a "good guy that wouldn't do that to the Seahawks!!! *weeps*" don't be foolish. Wilson has a commitment to himself, to his family, to the NFL players association, to his agent and manager and his whole personal team, and that commitment is to get paid what he's worth.

Given what we've seen over the last few years with QB contracts upping each other one after the other, that Wilson is a championship QB, that he's under 30, and that he represents the team so well off of the field, he's going to get paid more than anyone else has ever been paid in the NFL, probably. And then shortly after, Andrew Luck will get more.

Now with Kaepernick's deal done, we know where he set the bar. Not only will Wilson actually be able to reach this bar, he'll surpass it.

And I'm perfectly good with that.