SANTA CLARA — On Jan. 14, 2014, Colin Kaepernick waltzed into Cam Newton’s house and took down the Carolina Panthers in the NFC divisional round. He tossed one touchdown, he ran for another. He mocked Newton’s Superman celebration in the end zone.
At the time, Kaepernick vs. Newton was being dubbed the new-school version of Brady vs. Manning. Two dual-threat quarterbacks, both outrageously large human beings, both with a penchant for the limelight. The pair of quarterbacks produced gripping theatre, and, what we thought was a glimpse into the future.
Now, 32 months later, Kaepernick will watch Newton do his thing from the sidelines on Sunday. The reigning MVP, Newton catapulted his career after that 23-10 playoff loss, while Kaepernick’s on-field success seemingly evaporated into thin air. Blaine Gabbert will lead the 49ers’ offense in Week 2. It’s debatable if Gabbert would start for any other team in the NFL.
How we got to this point with Kaepernick could (and should) be documented in a book. The blame can be pinned in all sorts of directions and has been debated about in the Bay Area ever since. Jim Harbaugh’s fractured relationship with management spawned a mass exodus. Roster turnover depleted San Francisco’s talent and GM Trent Baalke did little to fix it. Kaepernick’s own struggles reading a defense from within the pocket reared its ugly head in 2015; three surgeries and an offseason trade request followed suit.
Many thought Kaepernick would one day be immortalized next to Joe Montana and Steve Young. Instead, he was a short-lived joyride. As a protester, he’s an idolized figure. As a football player, he’s no longer relevant.
Newton was dealt practically the opposite hand from the football gods. After two seasons of mediocrity, Carolina gave Ron Rivera a vote of confidence and the stability led to three straight NFC South titles. The defense was built into a powerhouse; Newton blossomed as a decision-maker and deadly bulldozing weapon near the goal line. Behind only Tom Brady, Newton’s smile is one of the hallmark images of the league. Many agree it’s not a matter of if, but when for his first Super Bowl win.
Love him or loathe him for his political stances, it’s a shame we never got to see this Kaepernick-Newton rivalry heighten itself with more bitter playoff clashes. Could Newton have been able to weather the storm that engulfed Santa Clara in 2014-15? It’s hard to say. Kaepernick’s statistics began their downward spiral in 2014 even when Harbaugh was still here. Teams were beginning to find holes in his quarterbacking style, taking away Harbaugh’s run-first offense in order to try and make No. 7 beat them through the air.
The argument is had Kap been a better quarterback than what he is, the 49ers wouldn’t have been set so far back. He could’ve kept making plays, he could’ve studied harder, committed himself more to the team. That’s the point here: the could’ve, would’ve, should’ve with him is why NFL fans lose in this situation. Kaepernick was entertainment and a lightning rod. He was Cam Newton before Cam Newton was really Cam Newton.
Even with Kaepernick a shell of his old self, the 49ers (1-0) believe they are headed down the right path with Chip Kelly. A 28-0 win in Week 1 was a confidence booster and a validation of a productive training camp. A quarterback competition and Kaepernick’s protest overshadowed the fact that the 49ers have an aggressive defense and one of the better running games in the league.
It says something that Kelly has not given up on Kaepernick. Instead of embarrassing him, Kelly has opted not to use Kaepernick as the scout team quarterback (Christian Ponder’s role) and is rewarding him with three reps with the first-team offense for every nine reps Gabbert gets.
There’s reason to believe Kelly still feels like some of us, that the Kaepernick of old isn’t six-feet underground quite yet. If there’s any NFL play-caller that has the bravado to believe his offensive system and coaching could resuscitate Kap’s career, it’s Kelly. And what a story it would be.
The 49ers could’ve traded Kaepernick earlier in the offseason to Denver for a fourth-round pick, a selection they could’ve used to take Dak Prescott or another developmental QB. But Baalke didn’t budge and the best guess is that Kelly urged him not too. Another educated guess is that Gabbert won’t be starting 16 games this season. Kaepernick’s going to get his chance, it’s just not even remotely fair to expect him to turn water into wine.
When fans across the country tune in to 49ers-Panthers Sunday on the RedZone channel, they’ll probably see Newton toss and run for a touchdown. They’ll probably see pre-game images of Kaepernick and teammate Eric Reid kneeling for the Star-Spangled Banner.
They won’t see Kaepernick as one of the most feared starting quarterbacks in the NFL. And that’s a shame for 49ers faithful and fans of football.