49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree described a divided locker room after Colin Kaepernick supplanted Alex Smith at quarterback, as well as the bizarre sight of seeing Smith, the longtime starter for the 49ers, suddenly relegated to backup duty at practice, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports. "I hate to talk about it. But you have the starting quarterback, and a couple of weeks later, he's the starting scout-team quarterback," Crabtree said on the Rich Eisen podcast on the NFL Network. "And he's taking all the snaps with the scout team. It Crabtree said the team's locker room was initially in turmoil after coach Jim Harbaugh tapped Kaepernick to start in New Orleans on Nov. 25 over Smith, who had recovered from the concussion that gave Kaepernick his first start a week earlier. "You had guys on Alex Smith's side, guys on Colin Kaepernick's side," Crabtree said. "I was on the winning side. … You can't beat the guy who was hot. Kap was hot. As soon as he came in, even though we lost that game – I think it was a tie, that game – he came in and it just went up from there. We were scoring that many more touchdowns. We were just going every drive it seemed like. … We had like a triple threat with Kap's feet, the passing game and the running game." Crabtree said the team division went away when Kaepernick showed what he could do on the field. "I think Kap kind of won everybody over by winning," he said. Crabtree said Smith, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month, "is a good guy." "I wish him success with the Chiefs, man." Source: The Redzone
Understandable. Alex had been through so much with the team. They wanted to win with and for him. Kaep is a different breed though
At the end of the day Kaep was a souped up version of Alex Smith. Hell, Smith ran a spread in college, he had the tools to run it. Kaep was simply better. Better arm, better runner, better athlete.
They just better hope Kaepernick doesnt falter and Smith thrives. Cause there will be a locker room split because Smith was traded.
Well, i don't think anyone can question harbaughs decision. Kaep was hot and gave them the best chance of scoring points.
