The Chip Kelly-era only lasted one season with the San Francisco 49ers. It didn’t go as well as either side hoped – the team finished 2-14, GM Trent Baalke was fired, and Kelly was sent out the door shortly after.
For all the questions Kelly had to answer regarding the 49ers’ performance on the field, it was the actions of QB Colin Kaepernick off the field, and on the sideline, that perhaps drew the most attention. Throughout the season, Kaepernick took a knee during the playing of the national anthem in protest of racial inequality in the United States of America.
While Kaepernick has yet to be signed by an NFL team, Kelly is entering his first season with ESPN as a college football analyst. He joined Adam Schefter’s “Know Them From Adam” podcast to share his thoughts on his time in San Francisco, and strongly endorsed the person and type of player Kaepernick is.
On Kaepernick:
“Kap was awesome. At the beginning of the year, he made a stance in terms of what he believes is right. We recognized and supported his ability to do that. But he never brought that into the locker room.
“We heard from the outside about what a distraction it is, except those people weren’t in our locker room and it never was a distraction. And Kap never brought that and turned it into a circus or whatever people think.
“I really enjoyed Kap. I’ve talked to Kap maybe three or four times since we both left San Francisco. I know he’s working out hard in New York now. I think he’s a really good person and a really good player, and I really enjoyed coaching him.
“I would tell anybody that he’s zero distraction and a really talented player who can help you win.”
On his time coaching the 49ers –
“I knew we had a rebuilding job that we had to do. Really enjoyed the players there. I think they were awesome. They had great attitudes.
“It was just one of those years. I thought our players from a mindset and attitude standpoint were awesome in how they competed and played. Just worried about what they could control.”
