The San Francisco 49ers lost another one on Sunday, and the leaking continues. A week after we had some locker room reports about Colin Kaepernick being on an island, Jason Cole has his own anonymous reports. Cole reported after the game that two 49ers players texted him after the game and said they felt Kap needed to be benched to clear his head. They thought he could be a part of the team's long-term future, but he is making too many mistakes and needs time to "get himself straight".
The leaks are only picking up steam, and I imagine they will remain an issue as long as the team continues to struggle. Players will only grow more frustrated if the team continues to struggle. Some kind of blame can be placed on virtually anybody on the roster and in the front office. And if the team does not improve, people will continue to lash out anonymously.
The team is fast approaching a point where they need to figure out what the next step is at the quarterback position. If Kap is benched, I do not seem him returning to the 49ers starting lineup, and in fact, would expect him to be released or traded in the offseason. I suppose it is possible the team sits him for a few weeks, then gives him one last shot in the closing weeks of the season, but I just don't see that as a likely result of a benching.
The 49ers face the Atlanta Falcons next week, and then have their bye. If we are going to see a change at quarterback, it will happen during the bye. If Kap struggles against Atlanta, I would not be at all surprised to see Gabbert replace Kap. If that happens, I think that will just about close the door on the Colin Kaepernick era in Santa Clara.