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Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu said recently that he thinks the 49ers are better off with Blaine Gabbert at quarterback than they were with Colin Kaepernick.

49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin didn’t make a comparison between the two quarterbacks on Thursday, but he thinks the team is in pretty good hands with Gabbert running the offense. During an appearance on NFL Network with Andrew Siciliano, Boldin praised Gabbert’s athleticism and arm while talking about his growth since arriving on the roster.

“Blaine matured from having his struggles in Jacksonville,” Boldin said. “He’s had time to sit back and really learn. I think him coming over here has been a blessing in disguise for not only him but us as well. You’ve seen him the last couple of weeks. He’s been playing lights out.”

The obvious followup was one about whether these have been a few good weeks or a sign that Gabbert can be the starter for the long term. Boldin said he thinks Gabbert can do it because quarterbacks “don’t play the way that he’s been playing just by luck.”

With a base salary of $1.75 million in 2016, Gabbert almost certainly isn’t going anywhere. The next four weeks will probably do a lot to determine who else the 49ers want to have on the depth chart with him.