Colin Kaepernick now allowed to call plays in huddle

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- All eyes have been on49ersquarterbackColin Kaepernick'smodified throwing motion early in training camp. But hisvoice has also garnered attention among his teammates.

Kaepernick has been given the freedom this camp to call the plays himself in the huddle during practice, with the call radioed in to his helmet, as opposed to former coach Jim Harbaugh, who played 14 years, oftentimes peering in during camp and regular season practices and making the call himself.

"It allows the players to have confidence in hearing your voice," Kaepernick said Wednesday, "and you're the one who's going to be giving them direction on the field. It's something that every quarterback should have the ability to do."

It's also something that should give clarification to former Niners running backFrank Gore'scomments earlier in the day. Gore, who left the Niners after 10 seasons for Indianapolis, was trying to give Colts quarterback Andrew Luck a compliment but instead seemed to take a swipe at his former signal callers in Santa Clara.

"I'm not knocking my other quarterbacks, I respect them other guys, but being around (Luck) a couple months, he's a different breed," Gore told NFL Network. "He's smart. He makes me feel young.

"He runs the huddle. I never had that."

Kaepernick said he did not take offense to Gore's comments. Besides, Gore also had Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, Shaun Hill, J.T. O'Sullivan, Troy Smith, David Carr, Colt McCoy and Blaine Gabbert take snaps during Gore's decade run with the Niners.

"It's not something I'm worried about," Kaepernick said. "We're moving forward. It's a new season, new coaching staff, new players. That's all we're worried about now."

And, apparently, a new mode of communication in the huddle, which can only benefit coach Jim Tomsula's point of emphasis to break the huddle faster in games.