SANTA CLARA, Calif. >> San Francisco has a good old-fashioned normal quarterback controversy to go with the new-fangled, Star-Spangled one. Well, actually, that one’s getting old to a lot of the 49ers fans, too.

Hint about which one the crowd at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday night cares more about: It involves kneeling, but only at the end of victories, not during the national anthem.

Fans were chanting “We Want Kap” as early as the second quarter of the 49ers’ 33-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, in which starter Blaine Gabbert threw for one touchdown and two interceptions and took a safety.

But once again, the real focus was only on No. 2 quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the game, during the anthem, when he kneeled again in his continuing protest of social inequity in the United States. While he kneeled and the band played, an American flag was held aloft over the entire field by dozens of uniformed servicemen and women.

Kaepernick hasn’t thrown a pass all season, and only appeared on the field once, for mop-up duty in San Francisco’s lone win in Week 1 against the Rams.

It’s pretty obvious now that could change with the Niners at 1-4. Coach Chip Kelly said there wouldn’t be any emergency meeting to discuss it with his staff this week, but he also didn’t discount that the most famous and infamous backup quarterback in the NFL might be a starter again next week when San Francisco plays at Buffalo.

If anyone knows what Kaepernick thinks about that, it was still a secret late last night. He eluded a couple of reporters and made a quick exit after the game. He’s the same with the media as he is as a player: All or nothing.

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the 49ers’ first-round pick who prepped at Punahou, hopes to return to action a week from Sunday. He missed Thursday’s game due to a day-to-day foot injury.

“I don’t think it would’ve made a difference if we played (this) Sunday instead of Thursday,” he said. “I’m shooting for the Buffalo game.”

Arik Armstead, his teammate at Oregon and on the 49ers defensive line, said Buckner is “having a great year.”

“The injury is just a temporary setback. He’ll get right back at it.”

Maybe it’s because he’s just a rookie, but Buckner said he hasn’t been asked much about Kaepernick’s protest.

“I understand the whole purpose and I respect that,” said Buckner, who is of African-American and Samoan ethnicity and was born and raised in the economically depressed Waianae area. “I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but I understand him.”

As for if there should be a quarterback change now? As we said, he’s a rookie. But he’s not dumb.

“Right now Blaine (Gabbert) is our starter and we all have to be behind him,” Buckner said. “The quarterback plays a huge role on a team, and whoever it is we all have to be behind him.”

Just four.

That’s it.

That’s the number of Kaepernick jerseys I spotted on the 1-mile walk from my hotel to the stadium. Of course there were more. Many more in the sea of red congregating to watch their beloved 49ers.

But of the hundreds of people wearing 49ers jerseys that I saw around the stadium, just four No. 7s.

Vic Joya from Fresno was one of them. I asked him why there are not more. Is it about football or something else?

“I think (football). We had a young quarterback who led us to the Super Bowl and his performance declined. For most it’s not about the politics. I feel sports and politics should be separate.

“I do think there is a problem (in America),” Joya continued. “It’s not that I hate the cops. No. I appreciate that they’re there and will come help me if I need it. But not everyone is a good person, and that’s true if you’re a cop or in any other job.”

Vic’s wife, Michelle, works in the Fresno school district.

“I was a bit annoyed at first and wished he would just focus on football,” she said. “But I understand it. The bottom line is I want what’s best for the Niners.”

Both said they will always support Kaepernick as long as he is a 49er.

“Hated him at Nevada. He destroyed us (Fresno State),” Vic said. “But he ended up on the right (NFL) team. Unfortunately, Derek (Carr of Fresno State and now the Raiders) didn’t.”

As is often the case for Bay Area NFL fans, if you love the Niners you hate the Raiders, and vice versa.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quickreads.