Kaepernick To Work With Kurt Warner, Other QB Coaches
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Colin Kaepernick found his quarterback guru to guide him through some adjustments to his game.
Kaepernick is headed to the Arizona desert to work with Kurt Warner this offseason.
The San Francisco quarterback will begin his training and study with Warner - a 12-year NFL QB with Arizona, St. Louis and the New York Giants - and quarterbacks coaches Dennis Gile and Mike Giovando on Monday in Phoenix. Gile said Wednesday they have developed a program for much of the next 12 weeks until Kaepernick rejoins the 49ers in early April.
While Kaepernick will maintain his regular weight training and running routine, this will be different as he has never had a true quarterback coach. They will focus on film study, chalk talk sessions and drills such as 7-on-7, Gile said. NFL wide receivers and some college players preparing for the draft are expected to take part.
"He just said he's still going to train and do his weight room and running stuff because that's part of his game that's pretty much unstoppable when he does it, but he wants to do something a little different," Gile said. "From what he's told us, he's never really had a quarterback coach. We just want to provide Colin with the tools that we have to try to help him out in any certain way to make him more consistent and more efficient."
Kaepernick worked under a former NFL quarterback in former coach Jim Harbaugh, who took over as new Michigan coach last week. The 49ers said Harbaugh and the team mutually agreed to part ways with one season left on his $25 million, five-year deal.
The 49ers are still conducting interviews to find Harbaugh's replacement. They were scheduled for interviews later this week with Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
Kaepernick said leading into the final game of the season that he was working to tweak his offseason regimen to bounce back from a disappointing year.
The Niners finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time in four years after three straight trips to the NFC championship game and a narrow Super Bowl loss following the 2012 season.
In his second full season as a starter, the 27-year-old Kaepernick completed 289 of 478 passes for 3,369 yards and 19 touchdowns while throwing 10 interceptions and taking a career-high 52 sacks.
Harbaugh stuck by Kaepernick through the struggles, which including a four-game losing streak featuring two tough losses to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and an embarrassing defeat at Oakland.
Kaepernick will hardly be receiving a complete overhaul, but those working with him will try to simulate pressure game situations where he has to consider his first, second, third and fourth progressions and "really try to put some chaos into that," Gile said.
Other star NFL quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning have made strides working with special coaches at the position.
The Sacramento Bee first reported Kaepernick would team up with Warner this winter.
___
Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
