Colin Kaepernick's second career start will come Sunday at the Superdome. All he has to do is out-gun Drew Brees to get a victory.
Rosenthal: No guts, no glory
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh knows you don't win a Super Bowl by playing it safe, Gregg Rosenthal writes. **More...**
NFL.com's Albert Breer confirmed that Kaepernick will start at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers against the New Orleans Saints, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
Niners coach Jim Harbaugh remained mum all week on who would start after Kaepernick's breakout game on "Monday Night Football" against the Chicago Bears, but all signs have pointed to the second-year pro ever since. Niners safety Donte Whitner said Friday that Kaepernick would start.
It's a bold move, but we believe it's the right one. It's a move that makes more sense in the long-term than this week, but the 49ers should see what Kaepernick can do. They always can go back to Smith before the playoffs. Two solid options at quarterback is the good type of problem the 49ers haven't had in a long, long time.
UPDATE: Smith has been cleared from his concussion, a league source told Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. NFL.com's Albert Breer later reported that Smith is active for the game and will serve as Kaepernick's backup. Breer also reports that 49ers running back Brandon Jacobs is active.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
