While all the talk surrounding the quarterback position in San Francisco has focused on Colin Kaepernick in recent months, 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert has continued to make sure he’s prepared to start should it come to that this upcoming season.
Gabbert took over for an ineffective and injured Kaepernick midway through the 2015 season, and performed at a relatively high clip.
Now likely entrenched in a competition for the starting gig this summer, Gabbert is seemingly taking full advantage of receiving first-team reps during off-season activities.
“He’s (Gabbert) definitely taking control,” tight end Garrett Celek said, via CSN Bay Area. “Whoever’s at quarterback needs to take control and be our leader out there. And he’s definitely doing that. He’s making good decisions on the field. I think he’s definitely developing more and more as the days go on. But, right now, we’re all in the same boat learning this offense.”
These are important initial reps for any quarterback looking to succeed in Chip Kelly’s offensive system. Now, add in the fact that this is Kelly’s first go-around as the team’s head coach, and that’s magnified even further.
While Gabbert is out there working with the first team, Kaepernick remains sidelined after undergoing multiple off-season surgeries. He’s expected to be back for the team’s mandatory training camp early next month, but it’s rather obvious that Gabbert has the upper-hand early in the process.
Gabbert threw for 2,031 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions in eight starts a season ago.
For comparison’s sake, Kaepernick compiled just 1,615 yards with six touchdowns and five picks in his eight starts.
It might appear that Gabbert should be the odds-on favorite to win the starting gig, but that’s just on the surface.
Kelly runs a completely different offensive system than what the 49ers inept former staff ran last season. In this, he’s going to give each quarterback an equal opportunity to win the starting gig.
Of course, that’s all dependent on Kaepernick remaining on the 49ers between now and the start of training camp.