In Reply to: I'm optimistic for a couple reasons posted by TJJ on October 12, 2026 at 11:25:34
Nico has not played well this season, and really, if we are being honest, aside from the Penn St game last year against a team that was on the precipice of a freefall comparable to the one we were in the midst of ourselves last season, Nico hasn't played very well at all since he got here. Yes, he was our leading rusher last season, but that was on a team that had no offense, and aside from him, no running game at all, and was just grasping at straws for anything that might generate yards and keep the ball out of opposing team's hands. But aside from running the ball, he was subpar in all the primary skills you need in a successful QB, processing, decision-making, and delivering catchable balls to his targets. He may be able to throw the ball a mile, but he rarely seems to have any idea where it might land. He has poor accuracy, no touch, bad placement, his footwork and throwing mechanics suck, which is why he occasionally throws a ball that a lot of guys playing on Sunday might struggle to complete, but can't replicate it, rarely if ever puts the short easy passes on the receivers where they can catch it in stride and have a chance the YAC those plays are designed to exploit.
This year, we have a running game that is not dependent upon Nico being a consistent threat to run. And on called running plays, he has consistently made poor reads and has taken a lot of unnecessary shots for very few yards.
I watch a lot of NFL football and none more than my Niners, whose QB play offers perhaps the starkest contrast in what we have seen from Nico. Brock Purdy doesn't have a hose, but he can still make all throws the defense gives him with touch and precision. His processing is next level, he knows his reads before the ball is snapped and goes through them insanely fast. And though not a flashy athlete, he is deceptively quick and very adept at picking his spots to exploit the defense with runs off of scrambles, and when he does, he almost never takes a hit. He is more cerebral than brawn, but is also as tough and competitive as anyone on the field.
Based on some of the plays that were called, it seemed to me that Kennedy has more confidence in Ty's ability to deliver accurate, on time passes than he did with Nico. Nico is by all accounts a great kid, but as coaches and talent evaluators often say, "the tape does not lie" and what Nico has been putting on tape had to be increasingly concerning. Moreover, as a team leader and very popular guy in the locker room, even if they had considered pulling him based on his play, I imagine that there would have been a lot of concern over how it might affect the team's overall chemistry if one of it's captains was benched. While you never wish to lose a guy to injury, I wouldn't be shocked if there is also a bit of optimism in the coaching meetings about how the offense might be able to grow from here, as it seemed to be capped with Nico at the helm. Sure it could end up being a disaster, but with all the coaching Nico has received, beyond saying all the right things in interviews, he didn't seem to be getting much that actually translates into effective play on the field. Ty may prove to be worse, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the offense may hit another gear with him under center.