Colin Kaepernick is the new face of the San Francisco 49ers. Alex Smith is in the process of being phased out. While a super-sized image of Kaepernick adorns the façade of the Niners’ team hotel for the week leading up to Super Bowl XLVII, their former starting quarterback is preparing for his likely last game with the team. Alex Smith's days as a San Francisco 49ers quarterback are numbered, and although Smith has maintained a good relationship with Kaepernick, there’s little chance Smith accepts the role as the backup next season. Smith signed a three-year contract last March that is set to pay him $7.5 million in base salary and a $1 million bonus in 2013. Considering Kaepernick is set to earn $740,844 for his third year in the league, the Niners are expected to either trade or release Smith before his full high price kicks in on this April. Source: Sporting News
I'm calling bullcrap on this story. I don't think Alex said any of this...especially at this point in the Niners season. No way. He's been a team player from the get go and there's no reason he's saying this crap now.
Yeah I'm calling bull crap also on this.I do think tho that he'll be on a different team next season he's impressing teams with how mature he's handling the situation.
to be honest, I want Kaepernick to get injured (not literally hoping on it, just my dream scenario) on the first play of their first drive, or do horrible and get benched with the 9ers behind, and Alex Smith lead them to victory. The way he's been hecked by this organization is a shame, and he deserves that.
Eh, in a perfect world I agree with you; he's a stand up guy and had a crapty thing happened that wasn't his fault and he lost his job. But I also can't blame the team for doing it how they did, especially since Kaep has been on fire since taking over. But yeah the situation you describe would make things get reeeeeal interesting in SF
I don't just mean the way he was treated this season.. I mean the way he has been treated since he's been a 49er period. No continuity, no confidence, no respect.
He got a bum deal losing his job after a concussion but you know what, every other kind of business has people advancing over others by taking advantage of bad breaks.
well, the niners won't release him if they think they can get something for him. they may consult with him if they get a few equal 'bids' for his services and let him choose where he wants to go but they aren't just going to release him if they can get a good draft pick.
Every negotiation has to start somewhere. Both sides start out FAR apart and meet somewhere in the middle. He already got a great contract, things didn't go well, certainly not all his fault, but he was part of the problem. Now he's playing well and will most likely end in a fair situation. Sometimes teams get over and sometimes players do. Look at Vick's stay in Atlanta or what NYG got out of Victor Cruz for what they have paid him. I don't think, whether this report is real or not, he wants to screw over SF. He hasn't shown that at any point. And I'm sure based on what he said in interviews about how he got his shot in college when the starter went down to injury, that it's definitely something that can happen.
honestly, i think some team that's desperate for a qb would be willing to give a late 1st or early 2nd for this guy, especially if he doesn't demand some huge contract extension with a ton of guaranteed money. i just don't see how the niners just let him go if that's the case.
