Colin Kaepernick made his on-field debut with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday as he works his way back from multiple surgeries, including a shoulder operation, but it sounds like he has a long way to go to make up ground in the quarterback battle.
NFL Media’s Mike Silver was at the 49ers’ facility and reports that Blaine Gabbert seems like the heavy favorite to win the starting quarterback job. Silver noted that Gabbert is “loved” in the team’s locker room.
“He’s loved in this locker room,” Silver said of Gabbert on “NFL Total Access.” “He did a lot of good things last year and I’d be shocked if he’s not the starter in the opener.”
This report from Silver should not come as a surprise as it seems to match most of what we’ve been hearing all offseason.
A report back in April said that new 49ers coach Chip Kelly aspired to resurrect Gabbert’s career after the QB faltered in Jacksonville. In May, a reporter pieced together multiple clues that all pointed to the 49ers banking on Gabbert as their starting guy as well.
Drafted 10th overall by the Jags in 2011, Gabbert struggled and never posted a QB rating above 77.4. He was particularly bad in 2013 when he passed for just one touchdown and seven interceptions in limited action. But the 49ers brought him over in 2014 and he got to spend most of the year as a backup, and last season he saw action as a starter. He completed 63.1 percent of his passes, threw for 2,031 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while going 3-5 in eight games.
Perhaps the 49ers see Gabbert as similar to Alex Smith, a former high draft pick who struggled early but develops late.
