Five Reasons The San Francisco 49ers Should Start Colin Kaepernick
The San Francisco 49ers are heading into the 2016 NFL season with a glaring question mark at the quarterback position. Chip Kelly will have to choose between Blaine Gabbert or Colin Kaepernick. He is stuck between a rock and a hard place, although both quarterbacks have potential to be solid if they play to the best of their ability.
It isn’t an easy choice for Kelly in his first season as the head coach in San Francisco, but he should end up choosing Kaepernick.
According to a report from NFL, Kaepernick is back to 100 percent health after struggling with arm issues. He seems to be throwing like his old self and is ready to dive into the quarterback competition.
This past week as Yahoo! Sports mentioned, Gabbert put some distance between himself and Kaepernick in the quarterback competition. It is much easier to win a starting job when the other player is unable to play due to injury issues.
All of that being said, which five reasons support the statement that Kelly should start Kaepernick under center to begin the 2016 NFL regular season?
Kaepernick Simply Fits Kelly’s Offense
There are very few quarterbacks that fit the offense that Kelly wants to run in San Francisco. He wants his quarterbacks to be mobile and to thrive in a fast-paced offense. Kaepernick has a proven track record of being a dual-threat quarterback, and there are very few quarterbacks that are faster than him.
Blaine Gabbert Is Just as Inconsistent
Perhaps the biggest knock of Kaepernick over the last couple years has been his inconsistency. He has led the 49ers to big wins but has also come up extremely short in situations where his team needed him the most. Gabbert struggles with the exact same kind of inconsistency, which should put that argument against Kaepernick to rest.
Kaepernick Has a Lot of Past Success with the 49ers
Just a few short years ago, Kaepernick led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens, but without him, they would have never had a chance to make it that far. He is capable of getting back to that point in the right situation, and the 49ers need to give him that opportunity.
What Do the 49ers Have to Lose?
Kaepernick is the better quarterback between the two in the mix for the starting job. He gives the 49ers the best chance to compete for a playoff spot. At this point in time, what do the 49ers have to lose? They need to put the best quarterback that they have on-the-field regardless of his past disappointments.
Give Him One Last Shot, Then Release Kaepernick If He Fails
San Francisco played around with the idea of releasing Kaepernick this past offseason. They need to give him one last shot with the decision already made to release him if he doesn’t turn things around. It has become obvious that they need to do something if things don’t change and this should be the year that they put that into movement.
Expect to see Kaepernick come back into the quarterback competition and make some noise. He is still looking to prove that he is a capable NFL starting quarterback. Gabbert may have a slight lead on him at this point in time, but Kelly and the 49ers’ coaching staff should come to the decision to start Kaepernick in Week 1.
Do you think the San Francisco 49ers should start Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert at the quarterback position? Should the 49ers trade or release Kaepernick if he doesn’t prove himself this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
[Featured by Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini]
