San Francisco 49ers

Chip Kelly believes Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert have 'similar' skills

Published Jun. 5, 2016 4:55 p.m. ET

foxsports

San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is still getting a feel for his new players. But from what he's seen so far, the former Eagles coach believes there's not too much difference between quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert.

That's definitely an eye-opening statement by Kelly, who has had success getting the most out of quarterbacks during his coaching career. Though it's debatable how similar they are physically, Kaepernick and Gabbert do share one thing in common: a need to get their careers back on track.

Kaepernick, 28, appeared to be on his way to stardom when he was given the starting job in the middle of the 2012 season. His powerful arm combined with his elusive speed posed a number of problems for opposing defenses. But he never blossomed into a franchise quarterback, eventually being benched for Gabbert last season.

The 26-year-old Gabbert was taken 10th overall in the 2011 draft by the Jaguars. But he didn't pan out in Jacksonville, finishing with a 5-22 mark while with the club. He was traded to the 49ers after the 2013 season and showed some signs of improvement late last season, completing a career-high 63.1 percent of his passes.