Word has emerged that Blaine Gabbert — or as I like to call him, Blaine ‘freakin Gabbert — is the “heavy favorite” to win the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback job, despite the fact Colin Kaepernick is scheduled to make $15 million and the fact Gabbert flamed out with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Yes, the 2011 10th overall pick lost 22 of his 27 starts in Jacksonville, completing just 53.3 percent of his passes during his three years there. Among the 36 quarterbacks who started at least 16 games during that three-season span, Gabbert’s 66.4 rating ranked dead last.
And yet…
“He’s loved in this locker room,” NFL Network’s Michael Silver said of Gabbert this week. “He did a lot of good things last year and I’d be shocked if he’s not the starter in the opener.”
And you know what’s crazy? After sitting on the bench for virtually the entirety of the 2014 season, Blaine freakin’ Gabbert did indeed do “a lot of good things” for the 49ers in 2015. He started the entire second half of the season, completing 63.1 percent of his passes while throwing 10 touchdowns to zero interceptions. He had a solid 7.2 yards-per-attempt average, a half-decent passer rating of 86.2, and he helped a bad San Francisco team win three of those eight affairs.
Small sample size, I know. And he still had his Gabbert moments. He threw three interceptions in a December home loss to Cincinnati (although two came off deflections) and he made some horrible decisions on picks to Shawn Williams, Tyrann Mathieu and Vic Beasley. Still, he was probably better than his final numbers suggested, especially when you consider that he rushed for 185 yards during that eight-game stretch.
Thing is, we know Gabbert has a lot of talent. You don’t get chosen 10th overall in the draft if you don’t. He’s only 26 years old, and it’s possible a new environment has brought out the best in him. I’m not ready to declare him a franchise-caliber quarterback, but it’s possible that entering his sixth NFL season as an entrenched starter could give Gabbert a chance to finally redeem himself and become a respectable pro quarterback.
Considering that many onlookers are surprised he remains in the league, that wouldn’t be bad. Beyond that, it’s all gravy. And don’t be surprised if that lack of pressure helps.
