In his role as the 49ers radio broadcaster, Tim Ryan has unique access to the team. Unlike other media members, who get to see 15-20 minutes of warmup drills, Ryan is given the privilege of watching the 49ers run 11-on-11 drills in their entirety,
“I’ve come to most of the practices,” Ryan told Garry and Larry on KNBR 680. “I’ve watched the offense and the quarterbacks quite a bit.”
Ah-ha. So now someone can finally tell us what’s really going on between Blaine Gabbert vs. Colin Kaepernick.
“When you watch practice, man, Blaine is the better option,” Ryan said. “Blaine looks like the better player. Blaine’s been running the system longer, since he’s been here since the start of OTAs.”
Ryan said if 49ers players are studying the practice tape each day, there won’t be some sudden locker room outcry to play Kaepernick. He also says yanking Gabbert out of the starting lineup does not seem like the best option at the moment.
“I was kind of hoping at the start of the year that the leash would be long, because I did envision struggles when you look at the offense collectively in the passing game,” Ryan said. “I do think it’s going to get better. This guy (Keshawn Martin) they brought in from New England last year, I think he’s going to end up playing quite a bit. But no, man, I don’t think the leash is short on Blaine.”
So Kaepernick’s practice repetitions have increased, but according to Ryan’s report, he’s losing the ongoing quarterback competition. Chip Kelly said it himself on Wednesday: Every day of practice is treated like a quarterback competition.
Things are adding up.
On Monday, Kelly leaned on Kaepernick’s physical limitations coming back from three surgeries when asked why he’s not being considered to start in place of the struggling Gabbert.
On Wednesday, Kelly changed his tune a little on those original comments.
“Kap’s the first one to tell you that he’s not where he was when he was in 2013 when he was 225-pounds,” Kelly said. “And that’s the only point I’m trying to make up. It’s not an indication on Colin. It’s not a knock on Colin… He was cleared to play when he got back and he’s played in games for us, but he’s not the same guy right now that he was in 2013. That’s the only point I’m trying to make.”
If Gabbert plays well and the 49ers beat the Cowboys on Sunday, this story of when Kaepernick deserves his chance to start will fade away for a few weeks.
If not? If Gabbert and the offense continue to go three-and-out? Then this is only just the beginning.