San Francisco 49ers: Quarterback Situation Not Inspiring Much Confidence

The San Francisco 49ers have had big problems with their quarterbacks dating back to last season – and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

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To say San Francisco has a quarterback situation that’s in flux would be a bit of an understatement. To say it’s a situation bordering on crisis might be a it more accurate. And their first preseason game against the Texans didn’t do much to inspire confidence that it will be getting better any time soon. In fact, given the performance by San Francisco’s signal callers, it’s a situation that might be inducing some panic within the organization and its fanbase.

Officially, the battle for the starting role comes down to Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert. But with Kaepernick missing more time with a “dead arm” and Gabbert looking less than adequate against Houston, it’s looking less like a battle and more having to settle for the guy who will probably do less damage on the field.

Adding to San Francisco’s quarterbacking woes were the season ending torn ACL for Thad Lewis – the only quarterback who looked halfway decent against Houston – and a completely ineffective performance by rookie Jeff Driskel.

In what is perhaps, a sign of how desperate San Francisco’s quarterbacking situation is, the team signed Christian Ponder to a one year deal. The veteran quarterback hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2014, is the owner of a career 14-21-1 record and a less than scintillating 75.9 QB rating.

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Given that HC Chip Kelly’s offense requires a quarterback with good accuracy and decision making skills, it’s not clear what Ponder brings to the table. His career completion percentage is just 59 percent and he’s thrown 36 interceptions against 38 touchdowns.

But with Lewis done for the year, Driskell not performing, Kaepernick not playing, and Gabbert not playing very well, the team had to do something. Even if that something is just providing another warm body to throw passes during practice. The signing of Ponder though, certainly does look like a team scraping the bottom of the barrel.

The quarterbacking situation in San Francisco is a desperate one. It should speak volumes that the guy who’s been in the playbook and on the field from day one (Gabbert) hasn’t been able to create any space between himself and the guy who’s been rehabbing from surgery and hasn’t done much throwing at all. That Gabbert – at least, according to Kelly – hasn’t distinguished himself from Kaepernick, is telling. And not a particularly good sign.

Make no mistake, Gabbert certainly didn’t set the world on fire last year. Statistically speaking, he wasn’t much better than Kaepernick was before he was banished to the bench. But he did seem to provide something of a jolt and a spark of life to the 49ers’ offense. San Francisco seemed to play with a little more life and fire with Gabbert under center.

Though Kelly’s offense revolves around a strong running game – the one area San Francisco performed pretty well in against Houston – the quarterback still has plenty of responsibilities. Included in those responsibilities are quick (and smart) decision making, accurate passing, and taking care of the ball.

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The one bit of good news is that it’s early yet. Gabbert could shake off the nerves that seemed to plague him against Houston and be just fine. Kaepernick might come back from his “dead arm” and look better than he did last season – though admittedly, that’s a pretty low bar to clear.

One preseason game – especially the first one – does not a season make, that is for sure. There is still plenty of time to get things right. Or at least, headed in a better direction. But things are going to need to start changing – and changing quickly. Otherwise, that first preseason performance may go from anomaly to pattern to terribly long season for the 49ers.