49ers Planning To Start Colin Kaepernick At QB Next Week?

Jason Cole of B/R reports that the 49ers could finally be making a change at quarterback after another disappointing outing from Blaine Gabbert on Thursday.

Two sources tell Cole that they believe QB Colin Kaepernick will finally get a chance to start in next week’s game against the Bills. Cole’s sources added that HC Chip Kelly appears to now be ready to make a change at quarterback, even though he previously said that Kaepernick wasn’t physically ready to play.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area just recently reported that there is some support among the 49ers’ offensive players for the team to start Christian Ponder to actually take over as the team’s starting at quarterback.

“Ponder is the best option for quarterback on the roster,” a locker-room source tells Maiocco.

Maiocco’s source added that Ponder has been more consistent than Kaepernick in practices.

49ers HC Chip Kelly said after Thursday night’s game that he plans to examine “everything” in the coming days, including the possibility of making a change at quarterback.

“I think we’re going to look at everything,” Kelly said. “We are 1-4, we have got to make sure we’re going out there and giving us the best chance to win so we’re going to look at everything.”

Kaepernick, 28, is in the third year of his seven-year, $126.97 million contract that included $61 million guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $11.9 million for the 2016 season.

While those numbers are impressive on their own, the contract is essentially a pay-as-you-go agreement that includes ways for San Francisco to walk away with limited repercussions, as long as Kaepernick is healthy.

In 2015, Kaepernick threw for 1,615 yards while completing 59.3 percent of his passes to go along with six touchdowns and five interceptions over the course of eight games. He also added 228 yards rushing and a touchdown.

We’ll have more regarding the 49ers’ quarterback position as the news is available.