All week, Colin Kaepernick was on the receiving end of some healthy praise from media types around the NFL.
But seven days after his feel-good performance against Miami, Kaepernick took a plunge closer to reality: 1/5, 4 yards, sacked five times and benched in a 26-6 loss to the Bears.
Chip Kelly called upon Blaine Gabbert, who completed 4/10 passes for 35 yards. Kelly was not ready to comment on who would start next week against the Jets.
“I thought we needed a spark on offense and needed to get something going,” Kelly said to reporters in Chicago after the game. “Give Blaine a shot. Knew we’re going to be throwing it every down. So give Blaine a shot. That was it. Nothing more.”
The two teams without a real firm quarterback situation — the 49ers and Browns — are a combined 1-23, and nobody is surprised. Meanwhile Tampa Bay (Jameis Winston), Tennessee (Marcus Mariota) and Philadelphia (Carson Wentz) are building a future and trending in the right direction.
A memo to the 49ers: Embracing the quarterback position is a good idea. Ignoring it while trying to build the rest of your team is not the right strategy.
On the other sideline, Matt Barkley proved that he may actually belong in the NFL. It was his arm and 192 yards in the snowy air that sparked Chicago’s 24 point surge. It was a reminder of what the 49ers don’t have to close out this season: A young quarterback to develop. The absence of this on the roster cannot drag into 2017, and options to trade back into the first round have to be discussed to solve the problem.
Sorry to keep banging this drum, but the premise of building around Kaepernick in 2017 is not very wise. We saw that on Sunday.
A report surfaced before the game from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who said Kaepernick will indeed opt out of his contract to test free agency in 2017. But with performances like Sunday’s clunker in Chicago, Kaepernick will be rolling the dice in March. A $19 million contract and a chance to see the starting lineup that the 49ers will provide is not really a guarantee anywhere else.
Kaepernick only threw the football twice in the first half, the lowest total from an NFL team since 2005. If the 49ers can’t count on their gunslinger to saddle up in the rain and make throws, they are hitching their wagon to the wrong horse.
“Maybe I was too cautious. But we didn’t look like what we were doing much in the passing game,” Kelly said.
Kelly will probably go back to Kaepernick next week at home against Todd Bowles and the Jets. He’s battled some inconsistency, but Kaepernick has earned that right for his strong play in these previous four games.
But the idea we floated last week is for Christian Ponder to use these last four game to audition as the 49ers backup. All Kelly would have to say is that the team is realistically evaluating every option for 2017, and Ponder happens to fit that build. It would harm the relationship with Kaepernick, but it would be signaling that they no longer think he’s a starter they can build a future with.
Sunday was further evidence of what position upgrade the 49ers need most. And it makes Clemson star quarterback Deshaun Watson’s upcoming playoff game against Ohio State even more intriguing. If Watson’s a star, it instantly changes your franchise for the better — way more than a pass rusher like Myles Garrett will.
Sadly, there’s no young project like Barkley to try and develop this December. We’ll have to wait until next year.