The hits just keep on coming for Colin Kaepernick, who is now being compared unfavorably to Blaine Gabbert in the film-study department by former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Bill Romanowski.
Speaking on the Papa & Lund Football Hour (95.7 The Game), via ninersnation.com, Romanowski revealed some rather eye-opening information about the study habits of Kaepernick and now-starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who replaced him in Week 9.
“Let’s talk Colin preparing for games. And you know how they get iPads now. And they regulate, and they can watch how much film you watch. Gabbert, when he was a backup, was watching four to five times as much film as Colin was,” Romanowski said.
While it’s not clear exactly how much time we’re talking about here, Romanowski’s allegation is damning. And furthermore, it appears to be something we can corroborate with known facts, such as how much sharper Gabbert has looked since replacing Kaepernick, who looked absolutely clueless on far too many occasions this year starting the first eight games of the season for the 49ers.
Even an opposing player has commented on how Gabbert’s presence behind center has improved things for the 49ers.
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Tyrann Mathieu said Gabbert “has a little better grip on what’s going on” than Kaepernick, who was recently owned by Mathieu and the Cardinals. After that game in Week 3, Mathieu said the 49ers simplified the offense so much for the beleaguered former starter that it was easy for him and his teammates to “anticipate routes,” leading to two touchdowns on interceptions in that game.
Since Gabbert was inserted into the starting lineup, the team’s passing attack has been much more cohesive. The former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars has thrown three touchdowns in two games (compared to just six for Kaepernick in eight games) and actually performed admirably in defeat during the team’s loss in Seattle, where Kaepernick has failed miserably in the past.
It’s worth noting that Romanowski had to get this information from someone in the organization, which makes one wonder why the 49ers continue to apparently smear their former golden boy. After all, there are rumors about the franchise’s interest in trading Kaepernick after the season, and this kind of information getting out isn’t beneficial at all if that’s the case.
The only thing that is clear right now is that Kaepernick is not a player the 49ers intend to feature going forward. The 2015 season was supposed to be his coming-out party, but instead of showing his worth as a franchise leader the quarterback has taken immeasurable steps in the wrong direction.