Thursday, March 28, 2024

49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick to Start Sunday Against Buffalo

Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the sidelines during their NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on October 6, 2016 in Santa Clara, California.
Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the sidelines during their NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on October 6, 2016 in Santa Clara, California.

*Colin Kaepernick has resumed his starting position with the San Francisco 49ers.

After his team lost four in a row following their Week 1 win, new coach Chip Kelly announced Tuesday that Kaep will start Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, replacing Blaine Gabbert.

“I think offensively, we need to be better and we need to just make a move. It’s not Blaine’s fault. I think it’s just as a group, offensively, we need to be better in a lot of ways, so we’re going to see what we can do to make a move here,” said Kelly.

“It’s really one of the only maneuvers we can make based on our depth, where we are, and what we’re doing.”

Kaepernick underwent multiple surgeries this offseason and didn’t have much of a presence during offseason workouts. Kelly said as recently as a week ago that Kaepernick was not heavy enough to take the field again.

A source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport that Kaepernick was “just zipping the ball,” signifying that his arm strength was close to normal even if his weight was not. However, Rapoport cautioned that Kaepernick has not been outplaying Gabbert in practice. The move is more about a potential spark than anything.

“I think we were very analytical and sat down as a staff and watched tape and went over everything,” Kelly told reporters. “We’ve had a couple days to kind of digest everything, where we are.

In the 49ers’ four-game losing streak, Gabbert threw for just four touchdowns and six interceptions and posted an average passer rating of 65.1.

Kaepernick’s backup status has been overshadowed by his decision to protest racial inequality this season by refusing to stand for the national anthem.

 

He’ll will make his return against Bills head coach Rex Ryan, who said that while he understood Kaepernick’s protest of the national anthem, he encouraged his players to stand as “a way of showing respect for the men and women who have served our country and are currently serving our country and that’s kind of how I look at it.”

Since Ryan’s comments in late August, Kaepernick’s protest against racial and social inequality has taken hold throughout the league, with players from many teams joining in their own intimate form of protest during the national anthem.

Kaepernick’s last start came almost a year ago, back on Nov. 1, 2015, in a loss to the Rams. In 2015, he went 2-6 under center with a 59 percent completion rate, six touchdowns and five interceptions.

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