SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Colin Kaepernick is in the process of considering how he might go about his offseason regimen to bounce back from a disappointing year, and employing a mechanics coach or quarterback guru as Tom Brady and other stars have done is being discussed.
”That’s still in the works,” Kaepernick said. ”Just working on possibilities right now.”
San Francisco (7-8) looks to avoid a losing record when it ends the season Sunday at home against Arizona (11-4), which still has a shot at winning the NFC West.
Kaepernick, rewarded with a hefty new contract in June before training camp, has shined under former NFL quarterback and coach Jim Harbaugh until this up-and-down year. He has cost the team games, and San Francisco heads into the season finale on a four-game losing streak – the first under fourth-year coach Harbaugh, who is likely on his way out.
Kaepernick is 274 for 452 for 3,165 yards and 17 touchdowns with 10 interceptions and 43 sacks. Perhaps the most glaring flaw has been San Francisco’s failure to score second-half points, including only 37 in the last nine games.
The Niners blew a 28-7 halftime lead in a 38-35 overtime loss to San Diego last Saturday.
He said once the season ends he will go back through each game film and begin the self-evaluation process, something that can be difficult to do during the season amid the challenge of game-planning from week to week.
”You still watch mechanics, what you can do better, but it’s more of a week-to-week basis. It’s hard to break habits in season. You don’t want to completely try to change something because it can throw off everything else you’re doing,” Kaepernick said. ”I’ll be able to figure those things out, what I need to get better at.”
One of the NFL’s most dynamic young playcallers coming into the year, Kaepernick received a $126 million, six-year contract extension through the 2020 season. Both the 49ers and their star wanted to strike a deal before training camp.
Harbaugh is all for quarterbacks receiving some outside help during the offseason to improve themselves, as New England star Brady, New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Denver’s QB Peyton Manning do.
”Yeah, there’s value there. Quarterbacks are always trying to improve their play and find something,” Harbaugh said. ”Find one thing or find two things to help them, to get better. Colin’s always been that type of player that is looking for improvement for those two months that are after the season. He likes to, the way they don’t come into the facility, but his car is in the lot the next day. He’s very shortly plotting out his offseason regiment. He takes no time off and gets right to work. So, it’s expected he would find anything, even one or two things to try to improve his play. That’s the kind of guy he is.”
Harbaugh recommended former pitching coach Tom House to then-49ers QB Alex Smith – now leading Kansas City – at one point and Smith spent time with House during the spring of 2012 refining his mechanics.
”Yeah, that’s something we set up, facilitated, and thought it had good results,” Harbaugh said, noting how much things have changed since his playing days. ”I think the principle’s the same. You’re always seeking out ways to improve – do anything, willing to do anything to get better, to improve.”
NOTES: The 49ers took the day off completely Thursday for Christmas after playing a Saturday game last week against San Diego, with plans to reunite Friday for final preparations ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale.
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Colin Kaepernick weighing his offseason approach
