SANTA CLARA – Jim Harbaugh announced Tuesday in the media tent that Colin Kaepernick has tentatively emerged as the 49ers’ No. 2 quarterback. Here’s everything Harbaugh said about Kaepernick and the other QBs.
Q: Is it possible that you’ll carry four quarterbacks on your roster during the regular season?
HARBAUGH: Anything is possible. We’ll do what’s best for our football team. This is one of those things that was foreseen, that we have four very good quarterbacks, that these are four quarterbacks who will all play a very long time in this league. I knew it would be very competitive offseason and training camp. It’s been of great value in that we don’t take a bad rep in practice because of the quarterback not knowing what to do or not having the ability to make all the throws. It’s also played out as we had foreseen, that this competition is fluid – it goes up, it goes down, it goes sideways. It’s still playing out.
Q: Are you foreseeing a difficult decision on who the No. 2 and No. 3 guys are going to be?
HARBAUGH: There are things that are taking shape, but these games are very important as we knew they would be. We thought that it would come down to some of those games.
Q: You said early on that there was a three-way tie for the No. 2 spot. Has Colin Kaepernick emerged as the No. 2?
HARBAUGH: I would say Colin has emerged there. He’s been very good. Nothing is set in stone in that regard, but he has emerged.
Q: In what order will your four quarterbacks play on Saturday against the Houston Texans?
HARBAUGH: It’ll be Alex, and then Kaep, and then Josh Johnson and then Scott Tolzien. All four will play.
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Is it me or did we see Tolzien look more comfortable passing in the flow of the offense, besides the INT.
Scott is an accurate passer, and will be a great NFL QB ! Josh Johnson had his chances at Tampa, when Freeman went down..
His good in college, but kid its very different in the NFL
Busterman
I agree, its just hard to gauge harbaugh, in what his thinking or what is he’s plans are.
Busterman
Scott is an accurate passer, and will be a great NFL QB
Wow, that’s a strong statement. ARe you basing this on two pre-season games against 2nd/3rd team defenses?
Tolzien looked good last week and against the Niners last year, but let’s not get carried away. As JH said, this situation is fluid. There’s a lot of football to be played.
I’d feel better saying that Scott Tolzien will be a successful QB in the NFL sooner than I would that Colin Kaepernick will be successful in the NFL.
Sure Kaepernick is a better athlete, but the NFL is geared toward Tolzien’s style. A team will give him a chance, whether or not it’s the 49ers. He won’t clear waivers and I’m sure someone like NE or NY will pick him up and mold him.
Tolzien looked excellent but unlike jj he has practice squad eligibility. which might explain him getting less time the last 3 games [9ers trying to hide him] but the chargers tried to slip him through waivers last yr and we all know how that worked out.
@old coach:
If the 49ers try to slip Tolzien through waivers, the Chargers will claim him.
yeah lets stop talking bout the damn PS. It will never happen!!!
Teams who need QB’s?? Arizona, Seattle, Miami maybe, Jacksonville #1 on the list actually and Chargers who are his biggest fan.
After watching the grease fire that is the Cardinals offense I think Arizona might claim him first. Not to mention the Vikings.
Tolzien hasn’t done a lot, and it’s only pre-season* but I don’t think he’d survive waivers.
*standard disclaimer on all Tolzien mentions
Are you out of your mind? You put Scott Tolzien in teh Practice squad, he’ll gone in a second…lol !
Only way to keep this promising kid Tolzien is to shipped J. Johnson.. sorry to say, theres no alternative but to do so..
If Harbaugh keeps J. Johnson over Scott Tolzien his out of his mind. Scott will come back and show harabugh that he made a terrible mistake, if he did !
Now days, its hard to even believe what harbaugh is saying to the media. I believe that Harbaugh is pretty high on Scott Tolzien, he probably think that among the backups QB , in crunch time Scott will be the one. Even though the coach is not saying it yet. Give Scott Tolzien the next 3 preseason games and see, who’s the #2 QB for the 49ers when the season starts..
If Harbaugh keeps JJ over ST its because JJ makes us a better team. FACT
Someone nailed it on the head in a later post and I can’t remember who it is to give them credit for it, but they said that CK is second because of the skemes he can run and the wrinkle it puts on the defense. Listing Scott Tolzien as the number 3 has little meaning. I am sure that if AS goes down, Tolzien is the starter with CK still listed at the number 2 spot.
Take Harbaugh’s words with a grain of salt… but this gets me both nervous and confused. Jim is full of contradictions. He said early on this would be all about competition and actual playtime and now he’s anointing Kaepernick who hasn’t shown much at all aside from what we already knew.
4 QB’s??? Now you know he’s full of crap. If they let Tolzien go elsewhere, its gonna be a huge mistake.
The 49ers have been in training camp for almost three weeks. They’ve held numerous practices. They’ve played a preseason game. That seems like sufficient time and sufficient data for a “tentative” decision.
Something tells me you wouldn’t be so upset about an alleged lack of competition if Harbaugh had said Tolzien was the tentative Number 2.
I make no bones about my affinity for the Tolzien, yes he’s #1 in my book. But the concensus from all the bloggers who attend the practices as well as game mins on Friday, Scott was slightly ahead.
Whitner’s comment was another feather in the cap. So yeah this is weird, Kaepernick has shown very little in actual game time.
Plus, you have to put in the perspective that if Alex goes down tomorrow, who do you want leading??
But the concensus from all the bloggers who attend the practices as well as game mins on Friday, Scott was slightly ahead.
All the bloggers? What bloggers said that Tolzien was ahead of Kaepernick?
It doesn’t really matter because bloggers aren’t professional coaches or talent evaluators. Moreover, the media have been watching practice from a great distance, and Grant was the only one who thought to bring binoculars. You really think they know better than the coaches?
Plus, you have to put in the perspective that if Alex goes down tomorrow, who do you want leading??
If Alex Smith goes down tomorrow, it really isn’t going to matter whether Kaepernick or Tolzien takes over. The team is f’ed.
Claude,
If Smith were to go down for a game or two I think they could manage it. If it is an extended period of time…it will get rough, but like I said before, Harbaugh beat a #1 USC team with Tavita Pritchard at QB so I can’t say they are “f’ed”.
@Jack:
I assumed he was referring to an extended absence.
Harbaugh beat a #1 USC team with Tavita Pritchard at QB so I can’t say they are “f’ed”.
I understand and share your faith in Harbaugh. That said, it is unfortunate that the entire NFL isn’t coached by Pete Carroll.
That was a good one Claude : )
We need to bookmark these last couple days, a lot of good material for future laughs…
….that was nice…..claude…:)
If Smith went down we would be fine. Last year our starting QB was dead last in yardage and TD for a starting QB and was a bottom dweller in 3rd down conversions and we STILL managed to be one game away from the Super Bowl.
I think we could manage at least that. The only really impressive stat from last year was ball protection by the QB.
gotta love a guy who protects his balls
I go to great lengths to protect my balls, does that mean you love me too?
yes it does. call me, maybe.
Bay,
You don’t give Smith enough credit. We didn’t have a pylon playing QB last year and he’s not as easy to replace as you make it seem. It’s been shown adnauseum on how passing yards mean nothing in regards to passing effectiveness and wins. The 3rd down issues are legit and need to be corrected but if you think an inexperienced QB would help in that dept. you are dreaming.
The offense would suffer greatly if Smith went down because of his experience and ability to set everybody up. He doesn’t make many mistakes either which his replacement would due to their lack of playing time. In this league you can’t just throw a body out there and win. I know there’s a perception of Smith being the game manager and not doing much, but there is an art to playing that way as well.
All I can say is I hope we don’t have to find out which one of us is right.
Rocket, your a seasoned veteran on here, you know by now between 23 welcher and bayarea that there one and only true agenda on here is to diminish Alex Smith?
Its trolling at its finest!
@rocket:
I am afraid you are wasting your time. You are debating with a guy who made up his mind years ago about Alex Smith and doesn’t want to admit that he was wrong. That, and he clearly believes that fantasy football numbers define the quality of quarterback play.
Never mind that Smith was the 9th ranked QB in the NFL’s official passer rating statistic, which takes into account completion percentage, yards/attempt, TDs/attempt and interceptions/attempt. It also happens to correlate with winning, unlike passing yardage. Of course, Bay will tell you that the NFL’s official passer rating formula is flawed but he can’t tell you how. I think he refuses to recognize its validity for the sole reason that it reveals Alex Smith to be a better quarterback than Bay says he was/is.
“He doesn’t make many mistakes either”
This is the main difference that JH looks at when discussing QBs as it pertains to wins or losses (see youtube: JH QB Clinic).
Rocket, enjoyed reading your objective perspective.
We’re f’ed with Smith as the starting Qb. Another loss in the playoffs. Mr safe guy.
23 willy welcher, Im not fed up with a 14 win season, even though we didnt win the SB, this year looks even better to win a championship, meanwhile, you are your comments look like death warmed over, give it up pal, you and JJ should be looking at another NFL to follow, this one is just not you, buwhahahahahah!!!!!!!!
He doesn’t make many mistakes
Well, last year he didn’t make many mistakes. Let’s hope he continues that trajectory. However, if he reverts back to Alex circa 2010 and prior, then the story changes quite a bit.
@23welcher:
We’re f’ed with Smith as the starting Qb. Another loss in the playoffs.
Given that your predictions have all turned out to be wrong, I take comfort in this.
Let’s review.
1. The 49ers cannot win with Smith as QB. Wrong
2. We’re a QB away from the playoffs! Wrong
3. Smith cannot beat teams like the Saints. Wrong
4. Smith will not be the 49ers’ QB in 2012. Wrong
5. Josh Johnson is already the No.2 QB. Wrong
Wow, that’s quite an impressive streak you’ve got going there.
Nick,
His mindset has changed from 2010 and prior. That’s the biggest difference I saw in Smith last year. Prior to last season, he felt it was on him to make a play otherwise they had no chance to win. It led to some inopportune Ints and fumbles, but as soon as Harbaugh came in and convinced him that all he needed to do was play within the system, his mindset changed.
The single biggest difference in Alex Smith right now is his confidence, and that is built on his trust in the system and his Coaches confidence in him.
Let’s review.
1. The 49ers cannot win with Smith as QB. Wrong
2. We’re a QB away from the playoffs! Wrong
3. Smith cannot beat teams like the Saints. Wrong
4. Smith will not be the 49ers’ QB in 2012. Wrong
5. Josh Johnson is already the No.2 QB. Wrong
Ouch. Jordan it’s time to get out of the prediction business bud.
…@Hoferfan67 ……you should learn from rocket on having an objective perspective……..
Speaking of Harbaugh. Grant, I came across an article about Crabtree and Ginn on profootballtalk.com. One of the posters on that article made mention of you in a comment he posted. I also thought some of your readers would like to see it too, since a lot of them seem to be saying the same thing this guy is saying. Check it out:
dirtyjersey9er says:Aug 10, 2012 1:40 PM
Ok so Harbaugh is excitable, props up his players while at the same time taking the heat off them, is a good coach, treats everyone outside of the press very well……yet some people here think he is an ahole? Really?
Have you heard some of the questions the press ask? Especially that moron Grant Cohn who is trying to be a tabloid sports reporter. Dude got into it with Anthony Davis, is now trying to do the same thing with AJ Jenkins. People believe he is the one who was the reason for Harbaugh’s “Diabolical” line that this site loves to beat into the ground over and over.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/crabtree-and-ginn-to-start-harbaugh-wants-better-questions/#comment-1925700
Get a life. No one cares. Bring football talk to the blog, not drama. You still in HS? AJ Jenkins struggled in the pre season game and at fan fest, so the only 2 times fans were able to witness him he was a thumbs down. Grant reports what he sees, he doesn’t just make up things that dont happen. And as far as the whole thing with AD, AD acted like a child. Grant wrote something like “Anthony Davis threw his hands in the air and squeled like a child, TOUCHDOWN” and AD took it to Twitter and tried to get Grant fired. Get a life you tool
Jai posted that himself and wanted credit/reaction for it. That’s why he posted it here.
It’s irrelevant who’s the #3 QB. During the regular season, the #3 plays receiver or DB for the scout team. JJ probably can fill in that role better than ST. From what I have seen, neither are look like starting-caliber material. If Smith continues to improve this season, CK will ride be riding pine for a couple of more seasons if not more, except when and if Smith is injured.
The most intriguing situation in the offense for me is the TE situation. Will Niners just go with two TEs, or is Walker too injury-prone to take that risk? Should they go with Reuland for a third TE over Byham with Dobbs in short-yardage plays for extra blocking? Shall we see 22 personnel groupings often? 25 days remain to September 9. Too long,
Grab some pine meat ! JJ are you serious ?
I like Byham and Rueland both but your idea of keeping Reuland as a receiving TE and using Dobbs as a situational blocker makes sense.
I just hope neither guy ends up Bear Pascoe’ing us in the playoffs.
Jordan 23 still says Jj still is the starter lmao haaaaa it’s all luv Jordan from one 9ers fan to another
Its just amazing how this guy Jordan talked BS about JJ is gonna unseat AS. This guy Jordan is the #1 Alex Smith hater. He wanted his boy Nate Davis, Troy Smith and now J. Johnson. This guys doesn’t know when to quit..lol !
@49erman:
Yeah, apparently, jordan only likes black QBs.
I wonder if that means he is 50/50 on Kaepernick?
Don’t worry Claude. You are the Genius Apprentice.
50/50 LOL!
the story goes like this, 23 jordan asked alex out on a date, alex said no, now he is bitter like a scorn milf…..
49erman,
unless Alex steps it up, he won’t be difficult to unseat. As for the rest of you clowns, you are bordering on racism. Yes you Claude and yes you Latino Heat.
On a side note, was that your Nick Name in prison heat? Vato……
Ironic that one guy calls himself “balls” and the other one “latin heat”. It’s a sports blog for gods sakes not a chat room where Travolta recruits his male masseuses.
@Bay:
From Webster’s online dictionary (http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/racism):
1. racism – the prejudice that members of one race are intrinsically superior to members of other races
2. racism – discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race
I eagerly await your cogent explanation of how my comment “borders on racism.” I neither asserted that anyone’s race made him/her superior or inferior nor discriminated/abused anyone because of his/her race.
Merely mentioning race ≠ racism.
@Bay:
Ironic that one guy calls himself “balls” and the other one “latin heat”. It’s a sports blog for gods sakes not a chat room where Travolta recruits his male masseuses.
I won’t speak for LH, but there is no sexual intent behind my screen name. It may be immature/sophomoric, but it’s not sexually suggestive. More importantly, I certainly never make any sexual suggestions in my comments, which is something you cannot say. You (and jordan) cannot seem to resist throwing out homoerotic insults (“get off his jock,” crotch nuzzler, Alex’s girlfriend, etc.) at those who disagree with your misguided opinions. Look at your most recent comment. Where did that come from? I think you may be projecting here.
Hov,
Josh gets thirds QB reps against Houston. Le’s see how he plays. Lets see it all plays out. I’m interested to see how all the QB’s perform against a better overall defense. The cream rises to the top.
……………..so is jj gonna move from 3/4th on the depth chart to starter like you predicted welcher?
your now a glorified punch line on this blog, what a goof……..
The cream rises to the top.
maybe the egg on your face is what you mean vato? hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahahahaha
Stop presses. I’m in agreement with Jordo.
…lol
That’s a much better tact to take than your previous one’s Jordan. It’s becoming more apparent by the day that JJ is battling Tolzien for 3rd QB. He’s going to have to impress in the next 3 games to make the team. I see no way they keep 4 QB’s on the roster.
@ Claude
I disagree, I’m of the opinion that Scott is already better than Alex. If Alex got hurt, Scott would lead us just fine and we’d be same if not, a better team.
Donte Whitner was most impressed by one practice where Scott pulled a WR aside and told him he ran the route incorrectly. These are the things that only players in the huddle get to hear and they see that and start believing in you. Donte is a seasoned veteran, this team is full of them and the window is now and maybe next year.
Good QB’s are very easy to spot, at least for me personally. Take Tannehill in MIA. On paper I said, no way a converted WR with little college time could play NFL caliber. Saw his 1st game and how he commanded his offense and shot the ball around decisively. I was wrong. He gets it already. Even Matt Moore, his competitor, said he looked strong.
Tolzien gets it. Kaepernick’s brain isn’t up to the NFL speed yet. I’m always gonna go with the guy who took less time to pick it up.
These kind of statements destroy your credibility. It is called competition. If Tolzien was in fact better than Smith, JH would start him. He doesn’t play favorites, he starts the best players on the roster. Ridiculous, just stop.
JDilla,
You get it bro, theres no conspiracy, its performance based…this staff is around these men every day, they have been around alot longer than we have…
@ JDill
you know that’s just not true. Jim/Baalke said one thing and then ended up being the 1st pair to scout Manning. They’re aggressive and sneaky, as they should be.
They’re gonna give Alex his chance to solidify himself, but they also are preparing for the worst as well. That’s what good leaders do. Execute solid strategy. Tolzien is new to the party, he’s earning stripes and putting in time. But Alex bought himself some time with the playoff wins and the swagger.
Tolzien has played his cards smart, he lived at the facility for awhile. He picks up his teammates at the airport, studies playbook 24/7, shows the command on the field. Your teammates notice these things, they see how young you are and start to do the math. Winners are built on their own. Scott is a good builder.
Let’s not forget that Jim found Scott 1st, when not many were paying attention.
How you like them apples?
Sled,
You are looking at this from a blinded fan standpoint and ignoring all the elements that are involved. Tolzien has played the equivalent of about 2 games of preseason football. He’s played well but to make a statement like you just did with that little evidence to show for it is severe overreaction. You can’t make decisions like this based on how little we’ve seen so far. There is a reason why Harbaugh has named Kap as the backup and stated he’s emerged when we as fans haven’t really seen much to back it up. The reason is they see these guys every day, watch them take every snap, see how they respond to what is thrown at them and ultimately how their talents fit into the offense. Harbaugh sees Alex Smith and Kap as the top 2 QB’s he has. Tolzien is fighting for the #3 job with a journeyman caliber vet. That’s all you need to know to form a knowledgeable opinion.
Blind?? I pay too much attention to be a blind fan who goes off emotion. He’s my favorite because he’s good, that’s it. If Alex was good, I would have rooted for him from Day 1.
CK is probably going to be good, but he’s behind in skill level as compared to many of his peers. He doesn’t command them yet.
Tolzien is already there, all he needs is the keys. Veterans aren’t going to come out and say things about a late round draft nobody, unless they stand behind it. Two great players, (Whitner & P. Rivers) have both called him “Brees”- like.
I see what I see, you go with your guy. Jim hasn’t named him 100%. The little I know about Jim, is you can’t really take his word. He’s a sneaky son of a……. I would hate to see Tolzien go elsewhere and then watch him carve defenses up all over NFL .
When your last QB is Andrew Luck, the bar is much HIGHER. One guy has no vision, the other prefers to run too much. Scott looks the most Montana like to me.
Sled…….I can respect your opinion. And I think you’re right about Harbaugh. I really dont think CK is a concrete bet 2nd string qb right now. Not to say he wont be, but its to much in the air, and Harbaugh loves playing mind games with players. For confidence purposes. Look at how he built Smith up last season. Everyone knows he wasnt elite. IMO ST looks good in pre season, thats it. But looking at his awareness and pocket presence I can see what you’re saying. I think the kid is going to be very good when he gets his shot. Smith was the starter last season and will remain that way because we couldnt land Manning. And I believe he should be after last season. But I also think the leash is shorter this season. I think Harbaugh will turn coach NOT buddy to Smith this season. And I honestly think the only way we see any other qb is if Smith gets injured. I know you’re new here, but I wasnt a Smith fan or believer till last season. I think you have to roll with theguy another season to see if he hit his ceiling or if he will be better. But like I told the new guy John. Feel free to have a opinion on any player, except Alex Smith. His excuses for his past failures are endless and he has family on here that read “real fans” opinions on the team and players they grew up rooting for. Family of players take a back seat in 9er land. They will be wearing a different jersey if their son is traded. Keep telling your opinions, this is still America! F*** these dictators and hypocrites on here
Teams are going to b watching us very closely when cuts are made. Most talented team in NFL without a doubt
The rotation for the Texans game is just how I thought it would be. Mr. Johnson will get his opportunity to make his case for being the number three quarterback. Godfather Fangio has the defenses’ attention which means “Houston, we have a problem”.
I’m a Tolzein supporter, That said, I’m VERY happy we have JH doing the evaluations.
I’m fully confident he’ll make the best choice for the Niners.
Didn’t you wished, it was M. Sing the one, that’s evaluating the players? hahaha..
I like Tolzien but i want to see him vs. first team defenses before we anoint him. i see smith as #1 by a long shot then kap #2 then tolzien and jj battling for #3 with tolzien having a small advantage. regardless of what order you put them in we are stronger at qb from top to bottom then we have been in over 10 yrs.
Isnt it a good feeling old?
He’s taking your name and checking it twice,gonna see if you’ve been a naughty or nice writer, Jim Harbaugh is coooomminggg to towwwwwwnnnn!
GENIUS Super Stan! Your are the man!
you guys are the same guy?
Odallay Vato! Super Stan is a Genius! You on the other hand…not so much.
Check you later Holmes!
your a double poster vato….i know dis
Tu esta loco en la cabeza vato. Super Stan es un genioso!
i know you are jack, maybe not stan but someone
Ay de mi, que lastima vato! Yo soy Jack Hammer, comprende?
Latino knows a thing or two about double posting. Isn’t that right OneLatino?
Lol. This is funny stuff between jack and Latino. Do I see another cheech and chong in the future? Wheew
Ok dammit, I hate to be the Spanish Spelling Nazi here but it’s “órele”. Odelay was the bastardized spelling used by a grunge singer trying to have street cred despite being whiter than Wonder® bread.
I have no idea what Odallay is. Sounds like a drunken Irish mating call.
/grouchy old man
@msc
Dude, I know you claim that your profile pic isn’t really you but hearing you talk makes me believe you totally are a Euro. :)
BTW, nice scarf.
Ze veel check names!
I will take names,and if you dont like it..you must go to the back of the line at the DMV. We dont have to care.
Stan
I know the Raiders lost. But that was expected and it’s only preseason ball. Don’t let it get to you.
Funny quote from NFL.com about Kaep’s run: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000050025/article/the-firstever-atl-awards-preseason-week-1-edition?module=HP11_hot_topics
“Sidenote: Colin Kaepernick’s 78-yard scamper is an easy pick for Run of the Week. Keep in mind he’s a quarterback. Also keep in mind it would have taken Matt Hasselbeck 42 minutes to do this.”
23jordan says:
March 22, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Benny,
get your popcorn ready. Josh is about to bench Alex. Josh is no joke in this offense.
—————————————————————————-
Nice call on that one 23, you were totally right on. By the way this was just one of about 4 posts in the same blog in which you prognosticate the dethroning of Alex Smith’s starting job to Josh Johnson.
Classic.