Yes, as Jim Harbaugh pointed out, we love talking about the quarterback position. Why wouldn’t we? Arguably, it’s the most important in any team sport. It’s the position that wins games. Or loses them. We know quarterbacks. We’ve watched Joe Montana and Steve Young and Jim Plunkett. What we don’t know, after six seasons, is whether Alex Smith is the quarterback who will win games for the Niners. Or whether the less-publicized Jason Campbell will win them for the Raiders. Read More

It’s a truism that the most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback. For the 49ers, it’s now Colin Kaepernick. Nothing new here. I remember when fans — and some writers — clamored for George Mira to replace John Brodie. Read More

The new NFL labor contract brings the 49ers’ stadium in Santa Clara closer to reality. As team President Jed York pointed out in a conference call this week, the new collective bargaining agreement has a provision setting 1.5 percent of revenue aside for new stadiums. This is why the owners wanted a new deal reducing the players’ share, so they’d have money for new stadiums. Read More

Jed York played coy when asked Tuesday about Alex Smith’s future as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. “My sense is Jim [Harbaugh] and Trent [Baalke, general manager] are going to figure out what’s best for the team and I’m going to support them 100 percent.” The team president added, “I’ve said all along we would love to have him back.” Read More