Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Colin Kaepernick resumes throwing as Blaine Gabbert readies for OTAs
May 16, 2016 at 12:48 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Last week, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed reports that
QB Colin Kaepernick has resumed throwing as he continues his recovery from multiple surgeries. With trade rumors behind him – at least for now – Kaepernick remains on the 49ers roster and will try to prepare himself for a competition with
Blaine Gabbert, who took over for him following his benching last season.
Like it or not, the quarterback competition will likely be the top story of the 49ers offseason. Gabbert, who is completely healthy, will take the early lead as organized team activities (OTAs) kick off on Tuesday. "Blaine Gabbert's doing a great job taking control of the offense and leading the offense," said center
Daniel Kilgore last week. Kaepernick will enter the competition when he is cleared to practice.
Last season, both quarterbacks struggled mightily as the 49ers plummeted to a
record of 5-11 under former head coach Jim Tomsula. Chip Kelly, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, is now the head coach of the 49ers and many within the media feel that Gabbert, not Kaepernick, may be a better fit for his offense.
The offensive line for the 49ers was bad in 2015. Really bad. It didn't even matter who was behind center as Kaepernick was pressured nearly 40-percent of the time behind that offensive line while Gabbert was pressured nearly 38-percent of the time. According to
Football Outsiders, when it comes to pass protection, the 49ers offensive line
ranked second-to-last among the 32 NFL teams, ahead of just the Tennessee Titans. They allowed the quarterback to be sacked 53 times last season with Kaepernick going down 28 times and Gabbert accounting for the other 25.
RELATED Broncos select QB Paxton Lynch, killing Colin Kaepernick trade rumors
Out of 624 drop backs, Colin Kaepernick had an average of 2.55 seconds per pass attempt, per
Pro Football Focus. Gabbert had just 2.38 seconds. Kaepernick's QB rating was higher than Gabbert's when he had less than 2.6 seconds to pass. However, when the offensive line allowed 2.6 seconds or more, that is when Gabbert had the advantage over his competition.
Less than 2.6 seconds
Colin Kaepernick: 84.0 QB rating
Blaine Gabbert: 78.7 QB rating
2.6 seconds or more
Colin Kaepernick: 69.6 QB rating
Blaine Gabbert: 102.7 QB rating
Under pressure, Gabbert took a sack 20.2-percent of the time while Kaepernick's number was 24.1-percent. Gabbert's completion percentage under pressure was still a respectable 51.8-percent while Kaepernick's nose dived to 35.2-percent. Gabbert also had a better accuracy percentage under pressure, a
Pro Football Focus statistic that throws out things like throwaways, spikes, batted balls, and other factors.
Under Pressure
Colin Kaepernick: 35.2% completion, 46.8% accuracy
Blaine Gabbert: 51.8% completion, 61% accuracy
Kaepernick tore a ligament in his throwing hand's thumb during an October 22 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. During his next game, a November 1 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, Kaepernick said that he suffered a bone bruise and cracked cartilage. That game would be his last of the season before being benched and eventually placed on injured reserve.
While none of his injuries are expected to cause long-term issues, he has had surgeries on his left shoulder, thumb, and knee since being placed on injured reserve.
Regardless of the numbers, there are many that feel that a healthy Kaepernick holds an advantage over Gabbert for the starting job. After all, since being drafted out of Nevada in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Kaepernick has led San Francisco to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl.
Either way, it will be an interesting story to keep an eye on once Kaepernick is cleared for practice.
OTA's will take place May 17-19, May 24-26, May 31, and June 1-2. During OTAs, no live contact is permitted. 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills with helmets are permitted, but cannot exceed six hours per day with a maximum of two hours on the field for any one player.
Poll
- Who will start more games for the 49ers in 2016?
Colin Kaepernick
Blaine Gabbert
- 567 votes
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers Notebook: Deebo is no longer "awful"; Ronnie Bell makes a splash; J.J. Watt praises Niners; Captain Andrew Luck makes Levi's cameo
Thursday night was a fun one at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-12 victory over the visiting New York Giants. It was a night that saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel declare himself as officially out of "awful" mode, running back Christian McCaffrey reach milestones, wide receiver Ronnie Bell create some lasting memories, and -- of all things -- Andrew Luck making a return to an NFL field (in full Civil War costume) to take part in a game of trivia.
Let's recap all that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.
Not awful anymore
Back in June, Deebo Samuel caught some attention with his honest description of his 2022 performance
Key stats from the 49ers' 30-12 Week 3 win vs. the Giants
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 3-0 on the season after a 30-12 Week 3 win over the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Below are several statistics and notes from Thursday's game, which were provided by the 49ers Communications staff.
With The Win...
San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the first time since 2019 and the 9th time in franchise history.
The 49ers have won back-to-back regular season games against the New York Giants [W, 36-9 at NYG (9/27/20)].
San Francisco has won their home opener for the second-consecutive season.
The Niners improved to 22-21 against the Giants,
49ers demolish Giants in Week 3 victory: Key takeaways
It's hard to think of the New York Giants without some painful postseason memories. And that's why it's always so sweet to beat them soundly. And the San Francisco 49ers did just that on Thursday night, winning 30-12, and improving to 3-0 on the season.
Although the score was relatively close at halftime, it wasn't as close statistically. And by the end of the game, it was even more lopsided—on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet. When you have more YAC (yards after the catch/contact) than the other team has total yards, you've thoroughly beaten your opponent.
The Giants had 150 yards of total
PFF's highest- and lowest-graded 49ers players vs. Giants, plus snap counts
The San Francisco 49ers improved their record to 3-0 after a 30-12 win against the New York Giants in Week 3. Today, Pro Football Focus released its grades from the game. Which Niners played well, and who has more work to do?
Below are Pro Football Focus' five highest-graded 49ers players on offense against the Giants.
Deebo Samuel, WR, 88.6, 68 snaps
Ronnie Bell, WR, 80.7, 31 snaps
Trent Williams, LT, 76.4, 79 snaps
George Kittle, TE, 75.8, 69 snaps
Jordan Mason, RB, 74.5, 4 snaps
Below are the five highest-graded 49ers players on defense.
Javon Hargrave, DT, 93.0, 34 snaps
Nick Bosa, DE, 92.8, 39 snaps
Arik Armstead, DT, 91.5, 36 snaps
Oren Burks,