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Chip Kelly on Kaepernick: “I don’t think he’s ready to go full-time”
Sep 26, 2016 at 12:26 PM
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly met with the media today and was asked about backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick. While Kelly has stated that Blaine Gabbert played "OK" against the Seattle Seahawks, he has not been consistent and has clearly struggled at times.
In regards to Kaepernick not being physically ready to start at quarterback – as Kelly has recently indicated – a question was asked why he is the number two quarterback then.
"Because he's capable to be the backup," Kelly answered. "But, I don't think he's ready to go full-time. He's continuing to work on it."
"I think his playing weight has been around 225 and he's not at that right now," Kelly continued. "So, he's going out there and continuing to work, continuing to get better. He had a serious layoff in times in terms of being able to medical rehab. To get the full Kap for what you need, the potential that he has, he needs to continue to just work on the physical aspect of things."
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If Gabbert were to miss a game, and given that Kelly has stated that he is not physically ready to start, would Kaepernick or Christian Ponder get the call? "Kap is definitely our number two right now," Kelly answered. "Kap is our number two right now and everybody wants to know why Kap isn't our number one. I don't think Kap is 100-percent right now. So, that's what I'm saying."
"Well, we'll just see how we go offensively," Kelly said while answering if he saw Kaepernick eventually getting a shot. "I mean, if we score 65 touchdowns next week, then I don't see him getting a shot."
Following Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Kaepernick was asked in the visiting locker room if he was physically and mentally ready to play at quarterback for the 49ers. "Yeah. I mean, I think I showed that in the last preseason game," Kaepernick said. "I'm out at practice every day working and making sure that I'm ready for when that time does come."
Kaepernick was also asked if he thought that it might happen against the Seahawks and if he was ready for that. "Oh yeah," he answered. "I'm always ready to step on that field and looking forward to that opportunity."
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