Chip Kelly has no idea who will be 49ers' starting quarterback

When Colin Kaepernick was replaced by Blaine Gabbert halfway through the San Francisco 49ers' 2015 season, signs seemed to point toward the 28-year-old's exit from the team.

The Niners couldn't get a trade done with Kaepernick, nor did they release him. Meanwhile, the veteran quarterback underwent multiple surgeries this offseason, limiting his ability to practice and learn a new offense.

Gabbert appears to have the momentum to be the starter, but new coach Chip Kelly admits he doesn't know who his starter will be come September.

"I have no idea," Kelly told KNBR 680-AM, according to the Mercury News' Cam Inman. "We're not playing a game until September. At this point in time, it's early, and one of the players, Colin, is injured right now, so he's not been a full participant in everything. ...

"I think people forget he had a thumb injury, a shoulder injury, and a knee injury that he's coming off of. So right now, Blaine is out there, Thad Lewis is with us, and Jeff Driskel are the ones taking the snaps in the offseason program."

Kelly was complimentary of both potential starting quarterbacks and his backups. Kelly's offense requires quick decision-making and can greatly benefit from a quarterback who can use his feet, an attribute the coach noticed in his entire group.

"(Gabbert)'s extremely athletic," said Kelly. "It's interesting, the three of them, if you look at Driskel, Blaine, and Kap, they're all 6-4 plus, and all can run. All of them are at 4.6 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) or under 4.6, which is kind of rare to have three guys that can kind of do the same thing. But it's beneficial to you.

"The one thing that jumped out right away was how athletic Blaine is. I didn't see, we did not play against him while I was in Philly, so this is really my first exposure to him. His athleticism is the first thing that jumped out at me."

Kelly has been adamant that Kaepernick remains in the competition despite his extensive rehab. Known for his athletic ability and strong arm, Kaepernick's impressed his new coach with his mental game while he waits to showcase his own on-field ability.

"Kap's been here every day. Been great in the meeting room with the quarterback and the offense when we're doing full install meetings," said Kelly. "The first thing that struck me about Kap is he's really intelligent. He's got a great grasp of what he did in college and what he did in the couple different coordinators he had here at San Francisco, and what we're doing now and installing. He can put the things together really quickly. I was really struck how intelligent and how sharp he is in the classroom."

Like Kelly said, there is still plenty of time until their first game, but the 49ers are the only team in the league without a clear starting quarterback who haven't made any changes at the top of their depth chart at that position.