The San Francisco 49ers are going to bench starting quarterback Colin Kaepernick for their Sunday matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, per ESPN. The 49ers will start backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert and will try to improve their 2-6 record before heading to their bye week.

The decision to bench Kaepernick comes just days after a couple of 49ers players have told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that they want their starting quarterback in the sidelines. It came after the 28-year-old only completed 20 passes out of the possible 41 attempts for just 162 yards and no touchdowns in the loss against the St. Louis Rams.

Earlier in the week, 49ers coach Jim Tomsula said that the team was "evaluating everything," wherein they will decide the fate of Kaepernick and tight end Vernon Davis. San Francisco traded Davis and a 2016 seventh round pick to the Denver Broncos for a sixth-round pick in 2016 and 2017, with the Broncos paying the remaining $4.35 million salary and $25,000 worth of roster bonuses, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Just last week, FOX Sports reported that Kaepernick was on an "island" in the 49ers' locker room after a terrible performance in a loss against the Seattle Seahawks when he completed just 13 of 24 passes for 124 yards while getting sacked six times. The Niners Nation speculated that if Kaepernick is benched, it could probably be his last game in a 49ers uniform as they expect the front office to either trade or release the struggling quarterback.

NBC Sports noted that the timing of the quarterback's benching is "curious" as it may signal that the San Francisco franchise is moving on from Kaepernick. The report noted that the 49ers may trade or release him before April 1, 2016, when his base salary for the year becomes fully guaranteed.

The Wisconsin-native signed a six-year, $126 million contract with the 49ers in 2014, that includes a $12 million signing bonus and $61 million guaranteed money, giving him an average annual salary of $19 million, per Spotrac. According to an earlier report by ESPN, San Francisco will save the team about $9 million with the only problem is the $61 million guaranteed money for the player's injury protection.

NBC Sports also added that the 49ers could wait until March to trade Kaepernick with the Philadelphia Eagles as a possible destination. Eagles starting quarterback Sam Bradford is going to be a free agent and getting someone like him is a better option.