Now that 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has announced that quarterback Alex Smith no longer is the starter and Colin Kaepernick no longer is the backup, the question becomes whether the other 51 players will support the move.
One of the team’s defensive leaders does.
Safety Donte Whitner, who let the cat out of the bag last Friday that Kaepernick would start against the Saints, summed the situation up succinctly on Wednesday’s Pro Football Talk.
“Coach made a decision and we’re gonna roll with it,” Whitner told Erik Kuselias.
If he were Smith, Whitner “probably would feel maybe a little slighted.” But Whitner said that Kaepernick is “very athletic, he’s in here every day early, [and] he’s the last guy out.”
The veteran safety had some other interesting comments, including whether he prefers a pick-six to a big hit, how he knew that the Week 10 game against the Rams could end in a tie, who he would name the team’s defensive MVP, and the extent to which he’s aware of guys using Adderall.