San Francisco 49ers Rumors: Colin Kaepernick Tabbed To Start NFL Week 6 Game Against Buffalo Bills?

San Francisco 49ers rumors indicate it is Colin Kaepernick time in the NFL. The 49ers could start Kaepernick in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, making the move away from Blaine Gabbert as the starting quarterback. Through five games, Gabbert completed 58 percent of his passes for just 890 yards. Gabbert also has five passing touchdowns, six interceptions, has been sacked 10 times, and only has a quarterback rating of 69.6 so far. The 1-4 start by the 49ers may have pushed the team toward giving Kaepernick another shot at being the starting quarterback.

Colin Kaepernick has only seen three snaps this season, which came in Week 1 as he handed the ball off on all three plays. He saw action because the 49ers had taken a 28-0 lead over the Los Angeles Rams, and the team would start the season out at 1-0. The updated NFL standings show how badly the past month has been, as the 49ers have been outscored 140-83 in four straight losses. The losses cannot be blamed solely on bad quarterback play, but an inconsistent offense hasn’t helped matters.

The San Francisco 49ers rumors about making the change to Colin Kaepernick stem from an article on CBS Sports from Friday, October 7. The report gives a quote from 49ers head coach Chip Kelly, who when asked about whether a quarterback change is coming, responded with, “We’re going to look at everything.” While this doesn’t necessarily guarantee that Blaine Gabbert is about to be replaced with Kaepernick, it has led to a lot of debate among fans and NFL analysts about what the team should do.

To make matters even more interesting, these aren’t the only San Francisco 49ers rumors about the quarterback controversy. Christian Ponder is the third quarterback on the roster and has reportedly gained support from many of the offensive players on the team. Could this lead to Chip Kelly giving Ponder a shot at the starting quarterback job? Ponder hasn’t seen game action since he played two games for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL season. He posted a 45.8 quarterback rating in his limited action.

These latest San Francisco 49ers rumors don’t have to be addressed by Chip Kelly for a while, as the NFL is still playing out Week 5 games. The decision may have already been made, but fans shouldn’t expect the 49ers to confirm a new quarterback until at least Tuesday (October 11) at the earliest. That gives the team a bit of extra time to fine-tune its response to the media. Colin Kaepernick may have already been the starting quarterback if he hadn’t been injured, but now he has had to prove that he should get one more chance from the coaching staff this season.

There isn’t a lot of time for the 49ers to make a run at the 2016 NFL Playoffs. The Week 6 game against the Buffalo Bills is nearly a must-win situation for the team, as they cannot slip to 1-5 in one of the toughest divisions in football (NFC West). The 49ers would then host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 before heading into a bye week. There are a lot of winnable games on the back end of the schedule that include opponents like the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, but the team has to change directions quickly.

With an estimated salary of $11.9 million this season (not counting bonuses), Colin Kaepernick is one of the most expensive reserve players in the NFL. That’s not something that fans of the team want to see, with many chanting for Kaepernick to be put in the game on Thursday night (October 6) against the Arizona Cardinals. These San Francisco 49ers rumors seem to indicate that they are about to get their wish.

[Featured Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]