Is Colin Kaepernick Better Than Matthew Stafford?

May 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) passes the football during organized team activities at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford are two very different players.

They hail from different parts of the country, Kaepernick from California, Stafford from Texas. They also have very different playing styles, Kaepernick is a mobile QB and master of the read-option while Stafford is of the true gun-slinger mentality.

As of Wednesday however there is one thing that two signal callers do have in common, their big-money contracts. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the San Francisco 49ers signed Colin Kaepernick to a six-year extension worth $126 million with $60 million guaranteed.

For #49ers QB Colin Kaepernick: It’s a 6-year extension worth up to $126M with $60M guaranteed, source says. Under contract through 2020
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 4, 2014

Official (with hashtag) RT @49ers: #49ers sign QB @Kaepernick7 to 6-year extension. #Kap2020 | http://t.co/hTSmM1zjSn pic.twitter.com/cyI4uvk5Ep
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 4, 2014

Both young QB’s, 26, are now among the NFL’s 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in terms of average salary.

(courtesy of Spotrac.com):

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers

$110 million over five years ($22 million average), with $54 million guaranteed

2. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

$126 million over six years ($21 million average), with $61 million guaranteed

3. Matt Ryan, Falcons

$103.75 million over five years ($20.75 million average), with $42 million guaranteed

4. Joe Flacco, Ravens

$120.6 million over six years ($20.1 million average), with $29 million guaranteed

5. Drew Brees, Saints

$100 million over five years ($20 million average), with $40 million guaranteed

6. Peyton Manning, Broncos

$96 million over five years ($19.2 million average), with $58 million guaranteed

7. Jay Cutler, Bears

$126.7 million over seven years ($18.1 million average), with $54 million guaranteed

8. Tony Romo, Cowboys

$108 million over six years ($18 million average), with $40 million guaranteed

9. Matthew Stafford, Lions

$53 million over three years ($17.67 million average), with $41.5 million guaranteed

10. Eli Manning, Giants

$97.5 million over six years ($16.25 million average), with $35 million guaranteed

Both quarterbacks also had good intentions when extending their respective deals, each vowing that they wanted to clear cap space to help the team resign their teammates and bring in other talent to help the clubs win.

“I wanted to do what was right for the club.”-Matthew Stafford

Kaepernick was due just $973,766 in base salary, plus a $100,000 workout bonus in the last year of his rookie contract in 2014. The 49ers surely didn’t want to play the franchise tag game in 2015 and beyond, with the non-exclusive tender for QBs this year reaching nearly $17 million, so they got in front of the situation and bet on Kaepernick.

“So this structure gives us room to try extensions with my teammates, right?”-Colin Kaepernick

In Kaepernick’s short time as the starter since taking over for Alex Smith midway through the 2012 season, he’s had a great deal of success. Kaepernick lead the 49ers to their first Superbowl in 18 years where they fell just three points short to the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. In 2013, Kaepernick lead the 49ers back to the NFC Championship game where they fell three points short once again to division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.

Matthew Stafford was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 2009 and after two injury-shortened seasons, Stafford helped lead the Lions to their first post-season appearance in over a decade. He also threw for 41 touchdowns and 5,038 passing yards along the way that year.