49ers vs. Chargers: Previewing Preseason Week 3 for San Francisco
By Peter Panacy
Quarterback Competition
OK, so the 49ers quarterback competition hasn’t officially been decided yet. At least not by head coach Chip Kelly.
Since Colin Kaepernick wasn’t able to go in games one and two of the preseason, it seems only natural he’ll get more reps in the final week versus San Diego.
As such, Kelly is planning on sitting quarterback Blaine Gabbert and giving the “first-team” reps to Kaepernick. Although the first team won’t look anything like what one would expect in the regular season.
“We plan on playing Kap in the game, just because he’s got only 13 snaps so far in the preseason,” Kelly said, via Joe Fann of 49ers.com. “Gabbert will not play. He has 43 snaps in the preseason.”
Chip Kelly said Kaepernick would play, Gabbert would not play Thurs vs. San Diego. Reason: BG has 43 snaps in preseason, CK has 13.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 30, 2016
Kaepernick did not bode well in his preseason debut versus the Packers. He was a mere 2-of-6 for 14 yards and had a lowly passer rating of 42.4. Overall, he looked indecisive and inconsistent within the pocket.
Some may attribute this to being rusty and/or not fully grasping Kelly’s playbook. But it’s a resemblance to what fans saw with Kap just before his benching midway last year.
Next: Kaepernick Visits San Diego