Colin Kaepernick Benched By San Francisco 49ers, Replaced By Blaine Gabbert

Colin Kaepernick has been benched by the San Francisco 49ers and is being replaced by Blaine Gabbert, as reported by NBC Sports.

Back in 2012, Colin Kaepernick replaced an injured Alex Smith and never looked back. The San Francisco 49ers ended up with a 13-3 record for the season. They eventually lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl, but the hype was at an all-time high because Niners fans believed that their team could contend for the NFL Championship every single year now.

In 2013, the San Francisco 49ers were once again led by the dynamic playing style of Colin Kaepernick. San Francisco made it to the NFC Championship, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks, their division rival. Still, it was enough to convince 49ers management that the team had their guy at the quarterback position.

At the end of 2014, Trent Baalke seemed convinced he needed Colin Kaepernick. The San Francisco 49ers knew that it would be hard to find a new starting quarterback, so they came up with an incentive laden deal for Kaepernick. San Francisco wasn’t completely confident that he would be a franchise player, but they were willing to pay him like one if he reached his potential.

Then, the storm hit.

Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke had been at odds for quite some time, and the media was all over their public feud. They disagreed on how a championship team should be built. The San Francisco 49ers opted to side with their general manager, so their head coach took off to the Michigan Wolverines, his alma mater.

The San Francisco 49ers then had a historic offseason. Several players unexpected departed the team for various reasons, including early retirements. Gone were Chris Borland, Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Mike Iupati, Anthony Davis, Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree, core players that helped the team become so dominant in the first place.

Longtime defensive line coach Jim Tomsula took over for Jim Harbaugh, whom Colin Kaepernick was rather fond of. He and new offensive coordinator Geep Chryst implemented a new system, which meant that Colin Kaepernick would have to learn a new passing scheme. The San Francisco 49ers also asked him to prepare for more of a pocket passing style, which goes against his dynamic style.

Colin Kaepernick has struggled all season long. Fans and the media have turned on him. There are also rumors that some of the San Francisco 49ers players themselves have turned on Kaepernick.

Jim Tomsula is a first year head coach in the NFL. He also knows that his approval rating is not too high at the moment because of the 2-6 record that the San Francisco 49ers are currently holding. With his job security in mind, Tomsula made the call to replace Colin Kaepernick with Blaine Gabbert.

There is a very good chance that Colin Kaepernick has played his final game for the San Francisco 49ers. With the way his contract is structured, the Niners would take a minimal loss if they were to release him after the season. Unless Blaine Gabbert does extremely bad in the remaining games, then the 49ers are more than likely going to use that opportunity to see if Gabbert can take over the reigns.

If this is indeed his final season with the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick will more than likely get another opportunity in the NFL. He has enough talent that general managers are likely to take a chance with him. A team like the Philadelphia Eagles have a dynamic offense, and Kaepernick might be able to thrive in the system that Chip Kelly runs.

[Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images]