AP

Despite a report to the contrary, Colin Kaepernick is staying in San Francisco.

After KBME radio in Houston reported the 49ers have put Kaepernick on the trade block, 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke issued a statement denying it.

“Colin is our quarterback and we are excited to have him,” Baalke said. “He is not going anywhere. The media reports suggesting otherwise are without merit and, quite frankly, ridiculous.”

If the 49ers were interested in getting rid of Kaepernick, that would be quite a departure from where they were last year, when they reached an agreement on a long-term contract that ties him to the team through the 2020 season. Although Kaepernick hasn’t quite lived up to the promise of his first year as the 49ers’ starter, from all indications the 49ers still believe in him.

So it would be a major surprise if there’s any truth to the report that they’re trading him. Kaepernick is the 49ers’ franchise quarterback.