The San Francisco 49ers decided to promote Colin Kaepernick to starting quarterback in place of Blaine Gabbert.
Gabbert, like any human who loses a job, isn’t thrilled.
The new backup spoke with Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area:
“It sucks,” Gabbert said. “I don’t like it. I don’t like not playing. I’m very forward about that.
“But, at the same time, I’m going to work the same way I’ve always worked the three years I’ve been here. Put my best foot forward. Still continue to prepare. I’m not going to slack on the film work just because I’m not playing.”
Gabbert lost his job because the team is 1-4 under his direction this year and he has thrown five touchdowns to six interceptions while only completing 58 percent of his passes. The coaching staff has elected to see if Kaepernick can provide a spark to the offense and turn the team around.
Kaepernick didn’t provide Gabbert with much competition over the summer and preseason after losing a noticeable amount of weight while he recovered from an injury. Five games into the season, though, it sounds like the coaching staff has seen enough from both to make a change.
At the least, Gabbert deserves points for still prepping like a starter despite the benching. He’ll be prepared if the team calls his name again.
