Alex Smith quietly stayed behind the scenes after losing his job and watched from the sideline as the 49ers returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years. Yet the No. 1 overall draft pick from 2005 did make one thing known: The veteran quarterback still considers himself a starter. And he hoped to get that chance again. Now, he appears to have it. Read More

Alex Smith stepped into football’s biggest shoes when the 49ers selected him with the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick in 2005. In a town that expects godliness from its quarterbacks, he was never Joe Montana, Steve Young or even Colin Kaepernick. But throughout his eight years with the club, he embodied the purest ideals of team sports. Read More

INDIANAPOLIS — Although his team made it all the way to the Super Bowl, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke was asked to discuss less pleasant issues with the media at the NFL scouting combine Thursday. What will he do with demoted quarterback Alex Smith? Was he concerned with the lack of productivity from last year’s draft class, especially that of wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, their first-round pick who saw minimal playing time? Baalke has not made a decision on Smith, but reported that Jenkins is expected to begin working harder on self-improvement beginning this week. Read More

To get back to the Super Bowl and win it this time, here are some points for the 49ers to consider: Read More