If the San Francisco 49ers want to make another run at the NFC Championship game, they’ll have to put their best foot forward. That foot may be the fully healed left foot of quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking openly for the first time about the injury, Kaepernick revealed that he suffered a chipped bone in his forefoot and a ruptured capsule in the ball of his left foot during a Week 2 loss to the Seahawks. Kaepernick said he believes the injury occurred when a linebacker landed on his foot after a running play, but he never detailed specifics about the injury to the media until this week.
When asked about the injury last season, Kaepernick repeatedly told reporters he was simply dealing with hangnails on both feet. Kaepernick was listed on San Francisco’s official injury report for a good portion of the season, but since he never missed any time with the injury, many bought the excuse that he was just dealing with minor discomfort.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh said he noticed that Kaepernick’s mobile ability was affected by the injury, so he decided to limit the number of designed running plays for the quarterback.
“I noticed it, especially in practice. I think anytime you have a foot, a hand or a finger, it affects you throwing and running,” said Harbaugh. “We didn’t want to see Colin get hit 12 times a game. Four or five? Maybe, and that’s it. That was a conscious effort.”
Harbaugh wasn’t the only one to notice that Kaepernick was struggling to match the rushing statistics he put up just one year prior. In the first four games after the injury, Kaepernick failed to eclipse 20 rushing yards in any game. Kaepernick only averaged 5.7 yards per game in the regular season, but his foot appeared to be fully healthy by the time the playoffs rolled around. He averaged 9.3 yards per carry in the postseason, but the 49ers fell in a close battle with Seattle in the NFC Championship.
Kaepernick said he knows the importance of playing through discomfort.
“I think that’s the kind of players we have on this team: You’re not going to let something that’s minor, that’s not a true injury, keep you off of the field. You’re going to hurt, yes. You’re going to have tweaks and problems. But you’re a football player; you can play through those.”
Dr. Silverman comments
Kaepernick had a down year running the ball last season, which makes more sense now that he’s speaking about the foot injury. His yards per carry fell by one full yard, and he had one less rushing touchdown last season than he did in 2013, despite playing in three more games last year.
When he’s fully healthy, Kaepernick is arguably the best duel threat quarterback in the league. Considering he’s made two consecutive NFC Championship appearances and another duel threat quarterback – Russell Wilson – just won the Super Bowl, it’s a good bet that San Francisco is poised to be great for the foreseeable future.
I wish I could take a look at his x-rays, but it sounds as if the damage was able to heal as expected. He’ll be one to watch in 2014.
Related source: The Sac Bee