CHARLOTTTE — The last time the 49ers were here, Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton were part of a new wave of dual threat quarterbacks barging in on the NFL hierarchy.

Both had just finished their third seasons and Kaepernick — selected 35 picks after Newton was taken No. 1 overall in the 2011 draft — was further along in their pursuit of NFL dominance. Kaepernick proved that on the field, fighting through early struggles to take over the game on Newton’s turf. His team down 10-6, Kaepernick closed the first half by leading a 12-play, 80-yard drive. He ate up 62 yards zipping passes to Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree before capping the drive on a 1-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis to give the 49ers the lead.

On the first drive of the second half, a 45-yard bomb to Boldin highlighted another scoring drive, which Kaepernick capped with a 4-yard run. Remember that? Kaepernick did Newton’s signature celebration, ripping open his imaginary shirt to reveal the supposed Superman logo. Then he zipped up the imaginary shirt and did his own — kissing his bicep.

It was 32 months ago Kaepernick came into Charlotte and knocked off the Panthers 23-10 in the NFC Divisional playoffs. But it feels like a drastically different era.

Back then, Newton was the criticized prodigy who looked as if he might never overcome his issues and Kaepernick was the force who seemed to keep winning. It took two seasons for that reality to flip. Newton is the beast who wins at the special clip and Kaepernick is the quarterback who can’t seem to overcome his issues.

Since then, their careers have gone in dramatically opposite directions.

In two years, things have changed such that Kaepernick’s superiority then seems impossible now. Or is it a glimmer of hope, proof it’s too early to give up on Kaepernick? It is hard to accept that was his peak just like it wasn’t for Newton.

That postseason, Kaepernick knocked off Aaron Rodgers, Newton and nearly Russell Wilson in the same postseason. Hard to believe now he’s washed. No doubt, though, flameouts in the NFL happen quick.

Neither were very good in the season following their postseason encounter in January 2014, with Kaepernick leading the 49ers to an 8-8 debacle and the Panthers finishing 5-8-1. Then suddenly, everything clicked for Newton and fell apart for Kaepernick.

In 2015, Newton threw for 3,847 yards and 35 touchdowns. He rushed for another 636 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Panthers finished 15-1.

Kaepernick, on the other hand, couldn’t throw out an out route to save his life. In eight games, he threw for a meager 1,615 yards and six touchdowns, with five interceptions, while posting a career-low quarterback rating (78.5). He wound up losing his starting job to Blaine Gabbert, a draft bust getting a second try as a back-up.

Now they meet again, Kaepernick and Newton, with Kaepernick as a backup quarterback and Newton the reigning MVP. One has Super Bowl hopes and the other has received more attention for his protest against social injustice than his play.

What happened to both of them? How did one fall off so far and the other rise so high?

Perhaps this was the destiny all along. Eventually, reality would catch up to them. Newton has always had star written all over him, having led Auburn through the rough SEC to a national championship. Kaepernick has always been a surprising story, a University of Nevada product who burst onto the scene as fast as he could streak down the sidelines. Maybe it was only a matter of time before the league figured him out and exposed his weaknesses.

But what is more likely is the career arc’s of Kaepernick and Newton underscores the importance of talent management and development.

Everything went downhill for Kaepernick when the 49ers tried to convert him into a pocket passer, robbing him of the threat of running and his confidence in the process. His weaknesses were set up to shine. Eventually, the coach who gave him the chance and the confidence was yanked from beneath him.

Newton, on the other hand, had a system catered towards his strengths. The Panthers’ read-optiion scheme highlighted his rare combination of size and athleticism, giving him a way to be effective while he worked on his accuracy as a thrower and reader of defenses.

Which begs the question: can the right coaching and scheme revive Kaepernick’s career? Certainly, 49ers coach Chip Kelly seems to think so. A quarterback who can run like Kaepernick and has a canon for an arm figures to intrigue Kelly, who runs a read-option offense and likes to spread things out. And one with experience in big games is a bonus. That’s probably why since the 49ers hired him as head coach, Kelly has been a propnent of keeping Kaepernick around. The general manager wants him out, per Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami’s reporting, but Kelly still has Kaepernick around.

Perhaps Kelly remembers the last time Kaepernick played in Charlotte.