Even though San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick made the highly controversial decision not to stand for the National Anthem at a pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers, the team still plans to give him a chance on the field this coming Sunday.
Head coach for the 49ers, Chip Kelly, told the media that Kaepernick will play against the Chargers in the preseason finale on Thursday. “We plan on playing Kap in the game, just because he’s got only 13 snaps so far in the preseason,” Kelly said via the team’s website. “[Blaine] Gabbert will not play. He has 43 snaps in the preseason.”
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Kelly also mentioned that he will not announce the Week 1 start until after Thursday’s game. The coach is more concerned with making sure that both quarterbacks are getting plenty of reps in the pre-season, and not because Gabbert has underperformed.
“We’ve got a good understanding of where Blaine is,” Kelly stated. “Unfortunately because of Colin’s injury, missing those first two preseason games, he’s only gotten 13 snaps. We’ve got to move forward, and see if we can get him some more snaps here.”
Kaepernick’s boycott of the National Anthem initially caused a media firestorm, and heavy backlash from many fans across the United States. When addressing his reasoning for the decision, Kaepernick said, “This country stands for freedom, liberty, justice for all – and it’s not happening right now.”
He continued, “This is because I’m seeing things happen to people that don’t have a voice, people that don’t have a platform to talk and have their voices heard and effect change. So I’m in a position where I can do that, and I’m going to do that for people that can’t.”
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[H/T Fox Sports]
