49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick spoke for the first time since he was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert, and he wasn’t exactly enamored with the decision, even going as far as to dispute some of the critiques his coaches had made about him.
“They told me they were going to sit me, and that was the extent of the conversation,” Kaepernick said, via ESPN. “That decision is out of my control, and I respect their authority.”
Niners coach Jim Tomsula said that Kaepernick needed to step back and breathe, but Kaepernick didn’t agree with that assertion.
“I’m not out of breath, so I don’t understand that reference,” Kaepernick said. “I don’t believe in pressure. Pressure is not being prepared for what you want to do. To me, I’ve played full seasons and had success. Mentally, I’ve been through it before. I’m not incapable of going through this.”
Kaepernick also disagreed with offensive coordinator Geep Chryst’s assertion that he’d been playing cautiously since throwing four interceptions against the Cardinals in week three.
“I don’t believe that’s accurate,” he said. “Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays, so that’s just a matter of opinion.”
Kaepernick was also noncommittal when asked if he felt the team had strengthened using the cap space left after he agreed to a team-friendly extension in 2014 – cap space which he apparently hoped would be used to give him a strong supporting cast.
“That’s not something for me to say,” he said. “I just try to do my part to try to help this organization, help this team, and do everything I can to try to help us be successful.”
Kaepernick did, however, stress that he wasn’t interested in complaining about his backup status.
“To me, that’s selfish and takes away from my teammates and takes away from Blaine,” he said. “I’ll support my teammates, I’ll support Blaine because they’ve been good to me.”
It’s no secret that all is not well in San Francisco, as the team sits in last place in the NFC West at 2-6. Kaepernick’s benching opens the door for Gabbert, and it’s an open question as to whether he’ll ever get his job back in San Francisco. He’s already the subject of trade rumors, may have lost the confidence of some of his teammates, and if nothing else materializes he may well be cut at the end of the season.
