Colin Kaepernick will either be amazing or awful, according to this stat

A report that concussed San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will not be cleared to play for Monday night's game versus the Chicago Bears means that second-year pro Colin Kaepernick will make his first career start. In doing so, Kaepernick joins a rare group of NFL quarterbacks who have premiered in prime time on Monday Night Football.

Since 2006, four other quarterbacks have made their starting debuts on the ESPN showcase. Here's how they fared.

Tyler Palko, Kansas City Chiefs, Nov. 21, 2011

With starter Matt Cassel injured, the Pitt graduate completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards but threw three interceptions in the Chiefs' 34-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Palko saw action in three more games last season but now is out of the game, working as a financial services representative in Pittsburgh.

Curtis Painter, Indianapolis Colts, Oct. 3, 2011

With Peyton Manning out for the season and backup Kerry Collins missing action due to a concussion, the third-stringer started Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, completing 13 of 30 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-17 loss. It was one of his better performances of the season, as the Colts would lose each of his eight starts in 2011. The former Purdue star is currently a free agent after being cut by the Baltimore Ravens at the end of training camp.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, Sept. 8, 2008

After three years on the bench behind Brett Favre, Rodgers finally took over the team in 2008, which began with a Monday-night contest against the Minnesota Vikings. Rodgers didn't put up the kind of gaudy numbers we've become accustomed to but completed 18 of 22 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown in the team's 24-17 win.

Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers, Sept. 11, 2006

The San Diego Chargers dispatched starter Drew Brees in favor of the 2004 first-round pick, who didn't make much use of his big arm in the team's 27-0 win over the Oakland Raiders. He went 8-of-11 for 108 yards and a touchdown, preferring to hand the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson 31 times.

The 49ers invested a 2011 second-round pick on Kaepernick, a 6-4, 230-pound Nevada product, and certainly hope he models the latter two quarterbacks. After all, there are already more than enough financial services reps in the Bay Area.