Disputing a report over the weekend that Colin Kaepernick is “on an island” and that his confidence is “shot,” San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula defended his quarterback on Tuesday.
“First of all, with ‘Kaepernick on an island,’ I don’t know where that’s coming from,” Tomsula told KNBR-AM, via the San Jose Mercury News. “That’s definitely not reality.”
Well, I guess nobody should be surprised about this. What else is the head coach supposed to say, anyway?
And besides, this wasn’t the highlight of Tomsula’s response.
Behold the money quote, in all its glory:
“The biggest thing I said to them was, ‘Guys, it’s like an Italian dining room table.’ ” he said. “Everyone is sitting around the table, and sometimes it gets heated, dishes get broken and people leave. But everybody’s got to come back to the table to eat. When it’s all said and done, there’s hugging and kissing, and we’re eating good food again.”
Badaboom. Fuggetaboutit.
What Tomsula’s really trying to say here is that the 49ers are a family and family sticks together. What he fails to mention, however, is that families oftentimes have arguments, and sometimes people can’t stand being around one another.
By all reports, Kaepernick is a model citizen who works his tail off and always gives more than anyone else to be the best. He puts in the time in the weight room, film room and on the practice field — he’s doing all the little things right.
Unfortunately once he steps foot onto the field, he’s doing everything wrong. Yes, his offensive line is a dumpster fire, and yes, the defense isn’t doing him any favors. All that said, he is not executing when he does have time to throw, and his mistakes this year have been ghastly.
Whether that’s because he’s seeing shadows or because his head is full of too much information, the bottom line is he’s not producing like an NFL quarterback should be producing, given the athletic talent he possesses.
With all that said, imagine being a teammate in the locker room. You know Kap is trying his best, but he just isn’t good enough to carry a team that needs to be carried right now. So perhaps, in that sense, Jay Glazer’s report that he’s “on an island” aren’t so far-fetched after all.