They can bench him now or they can bench him later. For good.

After Colin Kaepernick's latest subpar performance for the 49ers against the Rams on Sunday, his teammates want him to take a step back and regroup by riding the pine, according to Bleacher Report's Jason Cole.

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"Two 49ers players texted me and said after this game that it is time for Colin Kaepernick to be benched. This game lost to the Rams was the tipping point in a series of events that have been building and building and building to this point," Cole reports. "What these players say is they don't want Kaepernick's to be out of the plans for the 49ers. They believe Kaepernick is going in the right direction in terms of getting along with teammates, learning from his mistakes. But simply put they think he needs time on the bench to clear his head, get himself straight so he understands what the offense is trying to do and what he can do to make it work."

Kaepernick completed 20-of-41 passes for 162 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in San Francisco's 27-6 loss to St. Louis that sent the team to a 2-6 record to finish the first half of its season.

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The Niners had a few extra days to prepare for the Rams, having come off a 20-3 loss to the Seahawks during a Thursday night game the previous week. But San Francisco failed to get in the end zone for the second straight week and for the third time this season.

San Francisco has been held to single-digit scoring four times this season and is last in the league in scoring offense at 13.6 points per game.

Backup Blaine Gabbert doesn't seem to be the answer, as CBS Sports reports. But when the Rams are able to leave receivers uncovered because they know Kaepernick is not even going to risk a pass -- by his doing or by the 49ers' coaching staff's doing -- benching Kap may be worth exploring.

But with his contract setup that allows the 49ers to avoid paying Kaepernick the remaining five years of his seven-year, $126 million salary if they release him before next April, as long as he doesn't get hurt, a move to the bench may not be temporary.

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