49ers TE Vernon Davis denies calling out Colin Kaepernick
San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis has denied calling out quarterback Colin Kaepernick for poor play, the Associated Press reports.
On Wednesday, CSN Bay Area reported that there was a possible physical altercation in the 49ers locker room following a “heated” team meeting in the wake of their 17–3 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Davis allegedly criticized Kaepernick, who completed 13 of 25 passes for 160 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in the loss.
“I didn’t call Kap out,” Davis said. “I don’t know where you got that from. I didn’t call Kap out at all. It’s not my job or my role to call Kap out. I’ll let the coaches do that. We’re all together. There’s nothing that can separate any of us. We’re inseparable, I would think. Me, Kap, Joe, we’re all on the same page. We’re captains. We’re leaders of the team. We have to stay together in order to make things happen. We rely on each other.”
CSN Bay Area’s report said left tackle Joe Staley defended the quarterback. Staley and Davis reportedly had an altercation of their own earlier this season, which Davis also denied.
“[Staley is] like a brother to me,” Davis said. “We’ve argued in the past. I remember my first year, we came in and got into it. . . Then seconds later we were laughing and hanging out and drinking sodas together.
“I’ve never been mad at Joe, ever. Maybe upset over some things. ... I’ve had a great relationship with him.”
Kaepernick said he and Davis have a great relationship, and said that any frustrations that have surfaced have stemmed from the team’s poor performance this season. The 49ers have a 2–5 record and the lowest-rated offense for both yardage and scoring.
“We’re trying to fix the losing streak that we have been on,“ Kaepernick said.
San Francisco plays the St. Louis Rams (3–3) on Sunday.
- Erin Flynn
