Colin Kaepernick vs. Blaine Gabbert: Latest Updates on 49ers QB Battle

The San Francisco 49ers' quarterback situation has been cloudy throughout the offseason, and head coach Chip Kelly doesn't sound ready to name Colin Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert the starter anytime soon. 

Continue for updates. 

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Gabbert Reportedly Expected to Win Starting Job

Tuesday, June 7

"Gabbert is the heavy favorite," Mike Silver of NFL Network reported, (via NFL Total Access). "I'd be shocked if he's not the starter in the opener."

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Kelly Taking a Patient Approach

Tuesday, May 17

"I have no idea," Kelly said of who his starting quarterback will be during an interview with KNBR 680-AM on May 13, according to the Bay Area News Group's Cam Inman. "We’re not playing a game until September. At this point in time, it’s early, and one of the players, Colin, is injured right now, so he’s not been a full participant in everything."

Inman added that Kelly doesn't expect the quarterback competition to start in earnest until training camp rolls around, namely because Kaepernick is still recovering from right thumb, left shoulder and left knee surgeries. 

"Kap’s at every meeting. Kap’s at rehab. Kap’s at every practice, doing what he can," Kelly said, per Inman. "We don’t know exactly what we have until we get those guys up and running. That won’t be determined until preseason camp."

On Tuesday, Kelly told reporters Kaepernick hadn't been medically cleared and hadn't been taking part in practices, but noted his absence wouldn't hurt the quarterback's standing in the race. 

Although Kelly didn't tip his hand one way or another, he sounded impressed with Gabbert's mobility inside and outside of the pocket. 

"The one thing that jumped out right away was how athletic Blaine is," he said, per Inman. "I didn’t see, we did not play against him while I was in Philly, so this is really my first exposure to him. His athleticism is the first thing that jumped out at me."

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49ers Face Difficult Decision at Quarterback

While Kaepernick is coming off a disastrous 2015 season that was cut short due to injuries, Gabbert impressed in eight starts during the second half of the campaign. 

Player	Starts	Pass Yds	TD	INT	Comp. %	QB Rtg
Colin Kaepernick	8	1,615	6	5	59.0	78.5
Blaine Gabbert	8	2,031	10	7	63.1	86.2

Both Gabbert and Kaepernick are adept at creating plays outside of the pocket, so the winner of the competition may ultimately be dictated by who flashes more accuracy as a passer inside of it. 

And since Kelly covets signal-callers who can make quick reads that lead to accurate short and intermediate throws in his quick-strike offense, Gabbert may have the upper hand entering training camp

Kaepernick's production as a passer was volatile, at best, a year ago, and his struggles served as a stark contrast to Gabbert's prosperity in the decision-making department.