Steve Young: Colin Kaepernick should run less, learn to make reads
Posted by Michael David Smith on June 3, 2014
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When Steve Young arrived in San Francisco, he was an athletic quarterback who hadn’t yet developed into a great passer. By the time he retired from the 49ers, Young had a Super Bowl ring and two league MVP awards, and he was the NFL’s all-time record holder in passer rating and destined for the Hall of Fame.
Now Young says it’s time for 49ers quarterback
Colin Kaepernick to do what Young himself did: Learn to stop relying so much on his running ability, and become a pocket passer. Young said on
NFL Live that when Kaepernick’s first option isn’t open, he takes off running. And while Kaepernick often makes great plays with his legs, Young doesn’t believe Kaepernick can be a great player if he’s always quick to rely on his running ability.
According to Young, Kaepernick needs to learn to read through his progressions and become a pocket passer. Young thinks that should be the primary focus of Kaepernick’s offseason.
“That’s going to be a very difficult thing for Colin to master. He’s going to have to tie his legs in training camp. Literally, he should tie his legs, physically, so he can’t do anything but throw from the pocket,” Young said.
Young makes a good case that although Kaepernick is already good, he needs to change the way he plays and get better as a passer if he wants to be great.