Throughout the offseason, San Francisco 49ers fans were looking forward (with both fear and maybe a smattering of potentially misplaced optimism) to seeing a quarterback battle between Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Nothing, they reasoned, can actually be as bad as it sounds to say that out loud, so why not look forward to the competition?
49ers vs. Broncos 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
It’s a tale of quarterback woe, but one team might be better suited than the other.
Well, the battle hasn’t happened yet. Kaepernick, who was benched in favor of Gabbert last season despite a massive franchise quarterback type of contract, is still recovering from a shoulder injury. Kaepernick missed the first preseason game against the Houston Texans, and he’ll miss Saturday’s game against the Denver Broncos, too. The plan for now is for him to finally take the field next week against the Green Bay Packers.
As if things weren’t dire enough for the 49ers’ quarterback race, backup Thad Lewis tore his ACL against the Texans, and the 49ers signed failed first-round pick Christian Ponder. That means Gabbert, Ponder and rookie Jeff Driskel will take all of the snaps on Saturday. Ouch.
Things are certainly better for the reigning Super Bowl champions, but the Denver Broncos have serious quarterback questions, too. In the wake of Peyton Manning’s retirement this offseason, and Brock Osweiler signing with the Texans in free agency, the Broncos are trying out three quarterbacks for the starting job.
Last week, Gary Kubiak played all three, giving Mark Sanchez the start. Sanchez went 10 of 13 for 99 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the preseason opener. Trevor Siemian was 7-of-12 passing for 88 yards in his quarter of work. In his NFL debut, first-round pick Paxton Lynch completed 6 of 7 passes for 74 yards.
This week, Siemian will play for the first quarter and a half, followed by the same for Sanchez, and then Lynch will get the snaps during the fourth quarter.
Lynch looks like a real contender to be the franchise’s top quarterback, but the Broncos don’t seem eager to rush him. Kubiak suggested he might name a starting quarterback for the regular season opener as soon as next week, so Saturday’s game against the 49ers could be an important one.
Whoever performs the best could find their way into the starting role.
How to Watch San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos on Saturday
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
TV: Away: KPIX-CBS 5; Home: KTVD-My 20
Announcers: Away: Bob Fitzgerald, Tim Ryan; Home: Ron Zappolo, John Lynch
Online Streaming: NFL Game Pass
See More:
