After a training camp quarterback competition that never really materialized because Colin Kaepernick was working his way back from injury, San Francisco 49ers coach Chip Kelly made the obvious choice in naming Blaine Gabbert his starter.
Of course, whenever a competition takes place, the natural assumption is that the winner will be on a shorter leash than other starters might be. While we have yet to see just how long Kelly and the Niners will go without at least taking a look at Kaepernick in a game situation, it doesn't sound like it will be happening right away.
"He's our starter and I’ve got a lot of confidence in Blaine," Kelly said. "So we're not thinking or talking about not having Blaine in there. It's about everybody on offense playing better right now."
Gabbert hasn't been great in the team's first two games. But, the other piece of the quarterback equation is Colin Kaepernick, who doesn't yet seem to be all the way back from his injuries. He reported for training camp below his normal playing weight of 225 pounds. While Kelly doesn't know Kaepernick's exact weight, he's indicated that Kaepernick isn't yet back to where he used to be, though he's making progress.