NFL Rumors: Will SF 49ers Make Crucial Change to QB Lineup Following Last Sunday’s Loss?

By Carlo Monzon
San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers center Daniel Kilgore (67) prepares to hike the ball in the third quarter. The Panthers defeated the 49ers 46-27 at Bank of America Stadium.  Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Following last Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers, fans of the San Francisco 49ers are starting to wonder if the team will make a significant change to its quarterback. If the team decides to put Blaine Gabbert back on the bench, Colin Kaepernick may have a chance to start for the 49ers again.

During the weekend, the San Francisco franchise took on its Week 2 game against the Panthers. Although Gabbert was not able to successfully lead the team to victory, he was able to make touchdown passes. However, these were not enough to stop the Panthers. In the end, the 49ers suffered a 27-46 loss to Carolina.

Even though Gabbert was able to make fairly good decisions on the field, he also made a few mistakes.

"I thought it was up and down," coach Chip Kelly said about Gabbert's performance. "It wasn't helped with the drops, but I thought there were some plays I thought we could have been a little more accurate with the ball."

"I thought as a team, we were up and down," he added. "I'm not going to single the guy out."

But since Gabbert has led the team to its first loss in the 2016 NFL season, some fans are expecting a change in the team's lineup. If Kelly decides to change his quarterback, that means Kaepernick could be starting for the 49ers as they enter Week 3.

However, as noted by Kelly, he has no plans of putting Gabbert back on the bench. Until further notice, he is the team's starting quarterback.

"He's our starter," he said. "I've got a lot of confidence in Blaine. We're not thinking about not having Blaine in there. It's about everybody on offense playing better now."

But, aside from Kelly's confidence in Gabbert, there's also another reason why the coach has no plans of making Kaepernick the No. 1 quarterback again. As noted by the coach, Kaepernick is not in the best condition to be the team's main passer.

"I think people still forget - he had a thumb, a shoulder and a knee [surgery]," he said. "Usually if you have a knee [problem], you can lift with your upper body. Or if you have a shoulder, you can lift with your lower body. But he really was out of the weight room for six to eight months."

Based on Kelly's statements, it seems the San Francisco franchise will have to endure the upcoming games with Gabbert at the No. 1 spot.