
As you know by now, Blaine Gabbert will start at quarterback on Sunday for the 49ers.
On Monday, Jim Tomsula said that his decision to bench Kaepernick is for "this week" only, leaving the door open for another change following the bye week.
49ers radio analyst Tim Ryan thinks that Gabbert will be under center for more than one game.
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"Just speculation on my part: I don't think it is a short leash," Ryan declared on KNBR 680-AM Friday morning. "I don't think it is a 'short-term, let's see if we can get a spark.' This is a business. They gotta find out at the end of the day if Blaine Gabbert, in a block of games, can play efficiently and well enough to be their quarterback for the rest of the season and beyond and/or potentially be the stop-gap until the perceived rookie that they may draft in April is ready to go. That's what they need to find out."
Gabbert was effective in the preseason.
[MAIOCCO: Gabbert's 'change of scenery' draws comparisons to Smith]
Against the Texans, he completed 8 of 11 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.
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Against the Cowboys, he completed all six of his passes for 21 yards, and he went 9-for-11 for 96 yards vs. the Broncos.
But that's the preseason.
He has not started a regular season game since Oct. 6, 2013, and posted a 5-22 record as the starter in Jacksonville.
Nonetheless, Ryan is optimistic.
"I understand the perception and what happened in Jacksonville, and I understand what all the national people say about Blaine Gabbert," Ryan explained. "... But there's no doubt the guy has gotten better. This is a good offense for him, and we saw it in the preseason. There was an emphasis to get him in there with some of the better players earlier in games in the preseason. And he had ownership of the offense without question.
"I don't know what the hell is gonna happen, but I do know: I think you're gonna see the ball come out quicker. I think you're gonna see a decision-maker, and I think you're gonna see a guy that's gonna give wide receivers opportunities to go make plays on the ball. There's a lot of value in his 27 starts, there's a lot of value in the things he learned through the adversity in Jacksonville."
As a rookie, Gabbert completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 2,214 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
In his sophomore campaign, he completed 58.3 percent of his throws for 1,662 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He missed six games due to injury.
Prior to his third season, the Jaguars fired Jack Del Rio and hired Gus Bradley. Gabbert started Week 1, missed the next two games with a hand injury, started in Week 4 and Week 5 and missed the next two games with a hamstring injury.
Despite being healthy enough to play Week 8 against the 49ers, Jacksonville benched Gabbert in favor of Chad Henne. He never played another snap for the Jaguars again.
The 49ers acquired Gabbert in 2014 for a sixth-round draft pick, and he is now getting his opportunity.
"I don't think Blaine will be holding the football," Ryan said. "I think that he'll get rid of the ball, make a decision. And that's the most important thing in this league as the guy that delivers the mail. You gotta know what you're looking at pre-snap, you gotta process it post-snap. Easier said than done, and then deliver the ball on time ... I think we're gonna see some of that from Blaine Gabbert."
The 49ers will most likely be without Carlos Hyde on Sunday, and Anquan Boldin's status is uncertain because of a hamstring strain.
Reggie Bush is out for the season and the 49ers traded Vernon Davis earlier this week.
Next man up.
"I'm pretty excited about the young receivers and their ability to get open," Ryan said. "I've broken down the coaching tape from all eight games; there's nothing wrong with the passing-game concepts. Guys are open enough to get the ball and make plays. There have been a lot of big-play opportunities left on the field. That goes right back to the quarterback decision-making and to his accuracy."