At Thursday’s media availability, a reporter asked Chip Kelly if he had any problems with Colin Kaepernick speaking out about social issues in the locker room after a 49ers win. The reporter believed some of the players were uncomfortable with this after a San Francisco 28-0 win over the Rams.
Here’s a brief transcript — reporter in bold, Kelly in quotes underneath.
How do you feel when he takes over the locker room and he talks about his concerns, which are valid and important? I think specifically about after the Rams win, when you beat the Rams, and he was talking about injustice in America and I believe some of the players were uncomfortable with that. How do you feel when he takes over the room?
“I don’t think Colin takes over any room. I think it’s–”
Oh he did after the Rams game.
“I can give you my opinion of what I think. I think he’s asked questions about a subject and he’s answering those questions.”
He should turn down. He should say, ‘Talk to me at another time.’ I was in the room. Were you in the room at that time?
“Yeah, I walked by in the locker room. I’m in the locker room.”
Anyways, so we disagree on if he took over the room. Do you think it’s appropriate that he should be talking about those things after a win?
“Yeah, I do. When he’s asked a question, I think he should answer what his feelings are on those questions. If you don’t believe that’s a thing then maybe you shouldn’t ask him those questions.”
I didn’t ask him those questions.
“OK.”
We have a fundamental disagreement then.
“That’s the great thing about this country, isn’t it?”
Absolutely.
Kelly was firm in support of Kaepernick all throughout the presser.
When asked about Kaepernick’s TIME magazine cover, 49ers head coach Chip Kelly gave his strongest support yet for his quarterback.
“I think it’s an issue,” Kelly said. “You look at what’s gone on in Tulsa and Charlotte the last two nights, it’s an issue that’s at the forefront of our country that needs to be addressed, needs to be taken care. Because what’s going on is not right. I think he’s shedding light on a situation that’s heinous. It shouldn’t happen in this country.”
Kelly was asked if Kaepernick’s activism has interrupted any of the 49ers’ football plans. Kelly gave the quarterback a rave review for both his commitment to football and raising awareness in society.
“When he’s here, he’s doing football. When we’re here from 8:15 in the morning until 5 when we leave, he’s at every meeting. He’s done everything. There hasn’t been, ‘Hey coach, I need time because I have this going on.’ He hasn’t done that. He understands what his job is. He’s balanced it really well. I think he’s managed it really well. He’s focused, he’s dialed in when we’re in practice, he’s dialed in when we’re in meetings.”
