Kaepernick is Not the Problem
Like being able to predict the sun will rise, reports this week surfaced that there are locker room issues inside 49ers headquarters and Kaepernick is front and center. The report indicated that Kaepernick is "on an island" with little support from teammates. One could have seen this coming from a mile away. Going into the season it was clear that 49ers management no longer had the head coach to blame for its failures. They couldn't blame their newly enshrined hand-picked head coach, so the next scapegoat in line was...the under achieving QB. Last time the 49ers lost to the Seahawks, Jed York had to apologize to the fans. Who gets the blame this time?
Apparently, it's Kaepernick.
The only problem is that Kaepernick should be last in line for being responsible for the failures this season. It's easy for the media, fans and management to point the finger at Kaepernick because he's the leader of the team on the field, he controls the offense and is most noticeably struggling in huge games against hated rivals. However, don't get confused. Blame should be pointed in one sole direction without waver. It's not Harbaugh, it's not Kaepernick, it starts from the top, Jed York and Trent Baalke.
York and Baalke are the ones who decided to get rid of one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. It was York and Baalke who claimed that he was impossible to work with and that if they had a coach that they got along with, they would be better off. It was Baalke who failed to secure the offensive line by letting Mike Iupati leave for a division rival, in the Arizona Cardinals, and failing to convince a 25 year old from retiring in Anthony Davis. It's York and Baalke's fault that All-Pro defenders (Justin Smith and Patrick Willis) decided to retire instead of fight for their defensive-minded coach. If All-Pro Justin Smith wouldn't come back in support of his amazing defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula, then who would? It was a huge signal that the players themselves didn't believe it was worth it to strap it on and try and win a Super Bowl in their own stadium, because there was no chance.
Kaepernick had no chance going into this season. He had no offensive line to protect him, no defense to rely on, no innovative coaching to guide him, to give him confidence. Kaepernick isn't like other quarterbacks. We know that. He's a unique talent. A talent that could be the best in the game if given the right tools and confidence. With the best offensive line and a read option attack, Kaepernick led the Niners to within two throws of a Super Bowl win and another appearance. To think that he doesn't have what it takes to be successful in the NFL is a complete lack of understanding of the big picture and an impulsive instinct to blame the superficial. Yes, Kaepernick has struggled this year. He struggles when he lacks confidence and hesitates. He lacks confidence when he is constantly pressured and doesn't have enough time to throw because of an anemic offensive line. An offensive line that consists of the same lineman (Jordan Devey) who almost made everyone think that Tom Brady should retire after week 4 last year. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Instead of trusting his instincts, Kaepernick now hesitates and has to question himself. When he has time to throw, like in the Ravens and Giants games this year, he plays great.
While fans may be questioning Kaepernick they need to sit back and realize what the real problem is. We all know how much Alex Smith struggled without the right tools and confidence. But as soon as he got them in Harbaugh and an offensive line, he was a different man. A confident quarterback, who suddenly went from permanently mediocre to NFC championship-worthy. Why did that happen? Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh turned around the franchise and now for York and Baalke to turn their backs on Harbaugh, was essentially taking a u-turn right back to mediocrity. Right back to where they were before Harbaugh arrived. Right back with a passionate coach that everyone likes, but doesn't know squat about football. If they aren't dropping their pants during halftime, they're farting during press conferences. Those are the types of coaches the 49ers want, right?
The media can blame Kaepernick all it wants, but he's far from the problem. This is what the 49ers management have created. It's their responsibility to realize their mistakes. The problem is they aren't smart or humble enough to do so. Instead of accepting blame for picking one of the worst coaches in football history, York and Baalke are likely to blame anything other than themselves. The obvious scapegoat. Last year it was Harbaugh. This year it will be Kaepernick.
Ultimately, it is likely that they'll get rid of Kaepernick this offseason due to his expensive contract and Jed York's propensity for cheapness and scapegaotness. The writing is already on the wall, on every website, on every pristine urinal at Levi's Stadium. They'll make another huge mistake by getting rid of Kaepernick and secure another decade of mediocrity before they find another QB another coach as good as Kaepernick and Harbaugh. They were too stupid to realize what they already had. So instead of a decade of success, it's going to be a decade of disgust.
