"Colin Kaepernick played in the fourth quarter in Miami with confidence and poise and even a little bit of bravado about him and yesterday it was a complete reversion," Robinson said. "He couldn't throw the ball. He ran out of bounds. He ran to the sidelines. Didn't stick his foot in the ground and go. It was stunning and that's clearly why [head coach] Chip Kelly made the move.
"Chip Kelly's gone out there pretty much on a limb for Kaepernick and he clearly saw this yesterday. And if you heard his comments after the game, Chip said, 'Look, we got to a point where we were going to have to throw the ball on every play, so I thought Gabbert was better.' That's not a real good compliment for Kaepernick if you say, 'Because we have to throw the ball on every play, we have to go to this guy.' If you're an NFL quarterback, that's not a good thing to hear."
You can listen to the entire interview on ESPN 1320.
What Kelly said following the game was that the switch was made in order to provide a spark. "I thought we needed a spark on offense and needed to get something going," Kelly told the media. "Give Blaine a shot. Knew we were going to be throwing it every down. So give Blaine a shot. That was it. Nothing more."
"We're down a couple scores and obviously we got to throw it a ton," Kelly said later during the press conference. "So I just said maybe we can see if we can get a spark for our team."
Kelly did not necessarily commit to Kaepernick as the starting quarterback when the 49ers host the New York Jets on Sunday. However, he did not hint that anyone should expect the change to be permanent. He said that there had been no discussions on the matter.
Kelly remained on the East Coast following Sunday's loss. He wanted to be with his family following the death of his father, Paul, who passed away on Friday night. The memorial is today in Maine.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
NFL insider believes 49ers will have interest in Jim Schwartz for defensive coordinator
The San Francisco 49ers' search for a new defensive coordinator has remained relatively quiet. The only known detail so far is that assistant head coach Gus Bradley is viewed as the top internal candidate—a logical option given his familiarity with the defensive scheme.... -
49ers' Fred Warner confirms he would have played in the NFC Championship
What could have been. San Francisco 49ers fans were left wondering how far the team might have gone had it beaten the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan repeatedly acknowledged that linebacker Fred... -
49ers have a pass rush problem, and the solution isn't what you think
Much has been made—and was made weekly during the season—of the 49ers' lack of a pass rush. The team was last in the league in sacks and last in pressure rate. Since the defense had almost double the sacks in 2024 (20 vs. 37) with a healthy Nick Bosa, it stands to reason... -
49ers' John Lynch on Jauan Jennings: "We'd love to have him back"
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings' future remains uncertain. After expressing frustration over his contract last year, the team restructured the final year of his deal, allowing the fan-favorite to earn additional incentives. Jennings is set to become a free...