Colin Kaepernick made quite a name for himself this year by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. Given the way he played against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the 49ers quarterback should have just stayed on the ground.

Kaepernick sat on the bench, in favor of backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert, after setting an historic benchmark for futility. According to The Washington Post, “…Kaepernick became the first QB in league history to be sacked five times and throw for fewer than five yards in a game.”

In total, Kaepernick completed just one of the five passes he attempted, and that one completion netted all of four yards. With Kaepernick’s impressive athletic ability, he should have made up for this historically awful aerial performance with some serious ground game. However, he only amassed 20 yards on the ground on six carries.

Liberal sports sites politically friendly to Kaepernick had recently opined that he might opt out of his deal with the 9ers at the end of the year, to test what looked like a more lucrative free agency market after his apparent improvement over the last couple weeks.

After Sunday, Kaepernick might want to pump the brakes on that one.

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn