
SANTA CLARA – Colin Kaepernick heads into his preseason game believing he is still very much in the middle of the 49ers’ quarterback competition.
Kaepernick is set to make his first appearance on Friday night after Blaine Gabbert started the first two exhibition games.
Kaepernick, who is back after missing nearly two weeks of practices with arm fatigue, was asked if thinks he will still be competing for a job on Friday when the 49ers face the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium.
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“Yeah, most definitely,” Kaepernick said. “I’m going to go out and show everything I can these next two games and make sure I put my best foot forward to show this organization, this team, this coaching staff what I’m capable of.
“(The offense) is very similar to what I did in college. So at this point, I don’t think there’s any reason for me to be cautious or feel uncomfortable in the offense. I’m very excited about what we’re capable of doing and the opportunities we do have.”
Gabbert took all of the 49ers’ first-team repetitions during the offseason program while Kaepernick rehabbed from surgeries to his left shoulder, right thumb and left knee. Gabbert also has the advantage of taking all the first-team snaps that Kaepernick recently missed.
“I can only worry about myself,” Kaepernick said. “I focus on the reps I get and the mental reps I’ve taken, so when I step on the field I feel like I’m very prepared.”
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Kaepernick said he feels great and he’s ready to play after being frustrated that the arm condition kept him on the sideline. He said he feels comfortable that he regained the strength he lost during the offseason.
“I was following doctors’ orders and what our trainers had recommended,” Kaepernick said. “It was something we wanted to make sure we stayed on top of because it is the preseason and we have a long season ahead of us to make sure everything is going as planned going into that.”
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