Kaepernick Disputes Coaches' Assessments Of His Mental State: 'I'm Not Out Of Breath'
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Friday offered his first remarks to reporters following his benching to a backup role and seemed to dispute comments about his performance and state of mind offered by coaches.
Kaepernick said there wasn't much else said when head coach Jim Tomsula and offensive coordinator Geep Chryst let him know Monday he had lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert. "They told me they were going to sit me. And that was about the extent of the conversation."
However, when asked if he agreed with Tomsula's assessment about him needing to take "a step back and breathe," Kaepernick was clear he didn't agree. "I'm not out of breath so I don't understand that reference."
When asked whether Tomsula's reference might refer to getting a break from pressure that's been building up, Kaepernick replied, "No, I don't believe in pressure. Pressure is not being prepared for what you want to do. To me, I've played full seasons and been successful. It's something mentally I've been through before. I'm not incapable of going through things."
Kaepernick also disputed reported comments by Chryst characterizing Kaepernick's mentality changing from trying to make plays to not wanting to make mistakes. "I don't believe that's accurate. Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays. So that's just a matter of opinion."
The fifth-year quarterback maintained that the knowledge he was no longer the starter did not make for a hard week at practice. "No. To me, that's selfish to put that on myself and take away from my teammates and take away from Blaine. I'll support my teammates, I'll support Blaine and everything they do because they've been good to me."
Kaepernick said while he's preparing for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons as the backup, he was "still mentally focused and locked in."
He did not address whether he thought the 49ers held up their end of the bargain for Kaepernick signing what was descibed a year-and-a-half ago as a "team-friendly" deal in order to get other players signed. "That's not something for me to say. I just try to do my part to help this organization, help this team, and do everything I can to help us be successful."