Blaine Gabbert finally drew Chip Kelly’s endorsement Saturday as the 49ers’ season-opening starter ahead of Colin Kaepernick.
Gabbert’s appointment was anticipated, more so from his body of work since the spring rather than any side effect of Kaepernick’s national-anthem protests for racial equality.
“It’s his whole body of work, from April until today,” Kelly said of Gabbert on a media conference call. “(With) his grasp and command of what we’re doing, he’s a good fit for what we want to get accomplished, and I have a lot of confidence in what he could do with us, offensively.”
Kaepernick will serve as the No. 2 quarterback against the Rams, and the 49ers do not plan to have their No. 3 quarterback active. That third quarterback is Christian Ponder, who beat out rookie Jeff Driskel.
49ers news
