San Francisco 49ers: Pros and Cons of Starting Quarterback Colin Kaepernick

The Cons of Starting Colin Kaepernick

There are two sides to any argument. And the negatives surrounding the prospects for a Colin Kaepernick start are just as real as the positives.

Earlier this month, I pointed out why simply handing Kap the starting job isn’t the answer San Francisco needs right now.

Much of this assessment was based off NFL Films senior editor Greg Cosell’s assessment of Kaepernick being “stunted” in the mental aspects of the game. And it isn’t as if Kap’s mechanics are, far and away, superior to those of Blaine Gabbert either.

While I’m a full believer in the constant ability to learn and develop, we simply haven’t seen it yet. And that prompts questions whether or not Kaepernick would be that much of an improvement.

Kaepernick a Significant Upgrade over Gabbert?

Vince Fausone of USA Today’s Niners Wire put together an interesting argument why head coach Chip Kelly shouldn’t start Kaepernick. Fausone might be leaning towards a start later in the year, but he certainly doesn’t feel now is the right time. He wrote:

"There’s a part of every player, fan and analyst that wants to see what Kaepernick can do, a shimmer of hope that begs to be attended to. I don’t want to picture what happens when that last ‘what if’ scenario is granted and then immediately stamped out. Kaepernick replacing Gabbert and regurgitating his play from last year would be disaster."

Former Niners defensive coordinator Eric Mangini didn’t think the idea was a good one either. He even stressed the difficulty in “going back” from a change under center.

If Kaepernick suddenly gets the start, and his efforts on the field aren’t any better than what was seen last year, would it be easy to justify the switch?

Maybe if the 49ers are simply tanking for a better draft pick.

Fracturing the Locker Room

OK, so we already pointed out the 49ers locker room seems better now than ever. So why would a change at quarterback affect this group?

Well, simply, two camps would emerge. How distant the two would be is unclear. But remember, wide receiver Torrey Smith — one of the vocal leaders inside the clubhouse — has never shied away from his vocal support for Gabbert.

Fausone also wrote, “it’d be tough for this team to recover from seeing Kaepernick play poorly after Gabbert was also deemed too terrible to start.”

Poor play from Kaepernick may also convince some players he’s focusing too much on his social activism and not enough on the field. It’s hard to say, and it remains a Pandora’s box.

Contracts, Injuries and the Front Office, Oh My!

Alright, probably the No. 1 reason why starting Kaepernick isn’t a good idea.

Kelly noted Kaepernick isn’t 100 percent ready to play, but Kap has been good enough to remain the team’s backup quarterback. Sounds like a bit of a conundrum, doesn’t it. Well, not if you peel back the layers a bit.

The front office, at least general manager Trent Baalke, doesn’t like Kaepernick. At least according to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole. Take that for what it is, but ignoring the wedge between Baalke and Kaepernick is a bit naive.

So Kelly feels as if Kaepernick might be a player the head coach can develop and work with. Fine. But what if it doesn’t happen and the Niners want to move on?

This is where injuries and contracts come into play. Here’s the contractual breakdown, courtesy of Over the Cap:

The 49ers couldn’t have released Kaepernick last offseason even if they wanted to. Kap’s injuries and subsequent surgeries, which ensured no cuts would happen, meant San Francisco would be on the hook for his $11.9 million guaranteed salary in 2016.

With Kaepernick notably underweight right now, and lingering questions about his health not going away, what would happen if Kap was to start and winds up suffering a long-term injury?

So maybe Kelly’s statements about the quarterback not being 100 percent make more sense.

At least from a business perspective.