Alex Smith, shown last month with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, made a wise move for his long-term health but not necessarily for his career.
Poll
Do you feel bad for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith?
Your vote has been counted, thank you for voting.
As we watched 49ers quarterback Alex Smith on the sideline during Sunday's 31-21 victory over the Saints, we couldn't help but have mixed feelings.
Smith had been medically cleared Saturday, yet Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers to victory for the second week in a row.
Smith, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL draft, had never lived up to that lofty selection until Jim Harbaugh took over as the 49ers' coach last season. And all Smith did was lead the 49ers to a 13-3 regular-season record and nearly into the Super Bowl. Then the 49ers started this season 6-2-1, with Smith leading the NFL in completion percentage (70 percent) and ranking third in passer rating (104.1).
Smith took a beating against the Rams in a 24-24 tie, and a concussion forced him to miss last Monday night's game against the Bears, with Kaepernick leading the way in the 32-7 rout.
Even though Smith had been cleared, Harbaugh elected to go with Kaepernick again, saying that concern over Smith's health played a big role in the decision. Still, Kaepernick brings a level of excitement to the 49ers' offense that has been lacking.
When the 49ers moved up to the second round to draft Kaepernick last year, it seemed only a matter of time before he would replace Smith.
Should we feel compassion for Smith, who has done everything – and more – that has been asked of him?
Or should we recognize that the NFL is a business and Smith will get paid even if he never steps on the field for the 49ers again?
What to do
NBA, Minnesota at Kings, 7 p.m., Sleep Train Arena: Plenty of tickets are available to see the Timberwolves' Kevin Love and the Kings' DeMarcus Cousins square off.
Today's poll
Do you feel bad for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith?
• Yes, he's paid his dues and should start.
• No, he gets paid even if he doesn't play.
Vote above or leave your comments in the comments field, or go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Monday's poll results
Will you care if the NHL season is canceled?
• Yes: 19%
• No: 81%
Total votes: 181
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
• Read more articles by Tom Couzens
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.