Chip Kelly on Colin Kaepernick: ‘He’s not 100 percent healthy’

We can throw the idea of Colin Kaepernick starting next week completely out the window.

Not only has San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly continued to support struggling starter Blaine Gabbert, it appears that Kaepernick himself isn’t completely healthy.

There’s a lot to look at here. Kaepernick went through multiple off-season surgeries, including one on his shoulder, prior to seeing some action in camp.

He was then sidelined with a dead arm, missing the team’s first three preseason games in the process.

If what Kelly is saying here is true, maybe that’s the reason Kaepernick did not replace an ineffective Gabbert during San Francisco’s blowout loss to the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday.

There’s also something fishy about all this. Kaepernick played most of the team’s final preseason game, and looked pretty good in the process.

If he’s not 100 percent heading into Week 4, why did he suit up in a meaningless preseason game?

The skeptic in us has to conclude that Kaepernick is being held out primarily due to his contract situation. The embattled quarterback has $19.4 million owed to him next season.

It’s guaranteed for injury only, meaning if he were to not pass his physical next spring, San Francisco would be on the hook for nearly $20 million.

In three starts thus far this season, Gabbert has been the worst starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s completing 55 percent of his passes for 532 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. These struggles are magnified by the fact that he’s averaging just 5.5 yards per pass attempt.