NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Blaine Gabbert Wins over Colin Kaepernick; Chip Kelly Wants Kap Out

By Mitch de Leon
Blaine Gabbert
Photo of Blaine Gabbert playing for the San Francisco 49ers Wikimedia Commons/San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers finally concluded their quarterback drama with Blaine Gabbert reportedly walking off as the victor. Throughout the start of the offseason, the NFL has been in negotiations with Colin Kaepernick who refuses to stay with the football despite the changes in the staff and promises of the front office. While Kap is an impressive quarterback in his own right, his asking price proved to be too steep which led the Denver Broncos to back out of their plans to sign him. With this potential off the table, it looks like even the San Francisco 49ers have lost interest in Kaepernick.

Rumors are rife that Chip Kelly wants Colin Kaepernick out of the roster to make way for more consistent and notable stars. With the remarkable progress of Blaine Gabbert in training camp, the San Francisco 49ers appear to have found a suitable leader and starter for the next years. Where does this leave Kap?

"The 49ers' quarterback controversy is over," shared Mike Tanier of the Bleacher Report. He added, "Blaine Gabbert beat out Colin Kaepernick for the starting job. Largely by default. It's all over but the formalities. And Chip Kelly isn't disappointed. In fact, it has worked out almost as well as he wanted it to."

At the moment, however, the San Francisco 49ers have yet to make a formal announcement regarding the matter. For his part, Kelly remains coy on the decision, saying that the two quarterbacks are both potential starters. In fact, the San Francisco 49ers head coach even described Gabbert and Kaepernick "similar."

"They're similar," said Kelly of Gabbert and Kaepernick. He continued to share, "They have a similar skill set. They're both 6-foot-4-plus. They both can really run, which will help keep plays alive. Obviously, we're not a quarterback-run offense, but if the quarterback can run, you can use a little of that to your advantage. And they both have extremely strong arms. So, from a skill set standpoint, the two of them are kind of cut out of the same mold."

Despite the lack of official confirmation, Blaine Gabbert has been chosen for the first team reps in preparation for the match of the San Francisco 49ers against the Jacksonville Jaguars. When asked of the difference in his training, the potential first quarterback of the NFL team next season shared that the expectations from a leader are the same regardless of the group he works out with.

"I'd say it's the same. Being the quarterback going with the 1s, being the quarterback going with the 2s, being the quarterback going with the 3s, it's really the same," said Gabbert of his training. He added, "You gotta be the leader, the single voice on the field. You're the guy everyone looks to. You're the voice, you're the one that gets people lined up, tells people what to do if they have questions. So it doesn't really change if you're with the 1s, 2s, or 3s."

What do you think? Will the San Francisco 49ers be better off with Blaine Gabbert as the starter? Or should the NFL team give Colin Kaepernick another shot?

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