Jim Harbaugh says Colin Kaepernick deal is 'a high priority'

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick can expect a big pay day when he receives a new contract. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said that the team's priority is to get a new deal done for its franchise quarterback, Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick has led the 49ers to two straight NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance in his more than two seasons as a starter. Last season, Kaepernick passed for 3,197 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions and also ran for 524 yards and four touchdowns.

"The priority is that Colin Kaepernick is a San Francisco 49er for however long we can have him be a San Francisco 49er," Harbaugh said via NFL.com. "It's definitely a high priority."

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Kaepernick, 26, expected to make $973,766 next season before entering free agency in 2015.

"I'll give you an anecdote," Harbaugh said. "There's really no one that can compete with him in a workout situation. He will bury everybody. And when someone tries to compete with him, he just ramps his competitiveness up. And then someone is over on a knee throwing up. He's unbelievable."