Broncos’ may draft a QB, still eye Kaepernick

The choice for the San Francisco 49ers might come down to paying Colin Kaepernick $11.9 million to wear their uniform in 2016 or $4.9 million to wear Denver’s.

Kaepernick wants out of Northern California. His only suitor so far is Denver, which lost Peyton Manning to retirement and Brock Osweiler to free agency a month after winning Super Bowl 50.

Kaepernick, who lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert last season, met with Broncos GM John Elway at his Denver home last month. But trade talks stalled when Kaepernick balked at taking a pay cut in 2017 and the 49ers declined to pay a portion of his fully guaranteed salary for the upcoming season to facilitate a deal.

While the stalemate drags on, the Broncos are preparing to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft, Coach Gary Kubiak said Thursday.

Kubiak said he’s focused on the quarterbacks on his roster, newly acquired Mark Sanchez and 2015 seventh-round selection Trevor Siemian, while Elway and his staff study the top college passers.

“Obviously we’ve got some work to do. We’ve got to add to our group. We understand that,” Kubiak said.

The Broncos have the 31st pick because New England lost its first-rounder in the “Deflategate” saga, and Kubiak spoke highly of this year’s crop of quarterbacks.

The Broncos acquired Sanchez from the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2017 draft pick. He’s been working out in California with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders and has insisted he intends to win the starting job no matter who else the Broncos bring in.

Buffalo Bills linebacker A.J. Tarpley is retiring from football after just one season rather than risk sustaining another concussion.

Tarpley’s agent, Ryan Downey, confirmed his client’s decision on Thursday, a day after Tarpley announced the news on his Instagram account.

“After months of introspection, I am retiring from football,” Tarpley wrote. “I suffered the 3rd and 4th concussions of my career this past season and I am walking away from the game I love to preserve my future health.”