Colin Kaepernick believes he still has a lot of breath left, and was visibly bothered by 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula insinuating that he benched the quarterback to help him catch his breath.
Speaking publicly for the first time since being benched, Kaepernick let it be known that he did not agree with the team’s decision to go with Blaine Gabbert as its starter — stating that he was not going to complain.
Asked whether he agreed with Tomsula’s assessment that he needed to “step back and breathe,” Kaepernick said, “I’m not out of breath, so I don’t understand that reference.”
“I don’t believe in pressure,” he said. “Pressure is not being prepared for what you want to do. To me, I’ve played full seasons and had success. Mentally, I’ve been through it before. I’m not incapable of going through this.”
Told Chryst said he had been playing cautiously since a four-interception game at Arizona in Week 3, Kaepernick blanched.
“I don’t believe that’s accurate,” he said. “Every time I step on the field, I step on the field to make plays, so that’s just a matter of opinion.”
The 49ers have the worst-rated offense in the NFL, with 282.2 yards per game, and Kap is having his worst season since 2012.