Colin Kaepernick worked out with Super Bowl-champion gunslinger Kurt Warner during the offseason, but Fran Tarketon, a Hall of Famer, appears to question the value of the summer session.
In an interview on KNBR, Tarkenton said it doesn’t matter how many times the San Francisco 49ers quarterback trains with Warner or a player of his caliber, because Kaepernick is the only one who can change the course of his career.
Fran Tarkenton: "I don't care how many Kurt Warner's they bring in, the only guy that is going to turn around Kaepernick is Kaepernick."
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 28, 2015
Kaepernick’s effectiveness has slowly declined since breaking onto the NFL landscape in 2012 when the 49ers reached the Super Bowl.
After averaging 8.6 yards per pass attempt three years ago, Kaepernick tallied 7.8 and 6.9, respectively. He also only took 16 sacks in seven games (2012) before the number rose to 39 in 2013 and soared to 52 last season.
Additionally, Kaepernick’s elongated throwing motion, lack of pocket presence and propensity to rely on his running ability instead of progressing through each read have been questioned. Warner attempted to help Kaepernick in those areas specifically, but he needs to show that improvement on the field.
The fifth-year quarterback has a new weapon in Torrey Smith—who replaced Michael Crabtree—as well as Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis and free-agent signing Reggie Bush.
Kaepernick will remain in the spotlight throughout the 2015 campaign, and he’ll be thrown onto center stage in Week 1 of the regular season. San Francisco opens the year against the Minnesota Vikings on ESPN’s Monday Night Football on Sep. 14.