Will Alex Smith return to San Francisco?

We have heard time and time again that new San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh would like to bring QB Alex Smith back. The conventional wisdom here was once Smith was not resigned before the NFL lockout that his time in San Francisco was done. In fact it may be better for him to move on, but now he is saying publicly that he would not mind returning. Right now it seems likely Smith will return even though this team drafted QB Colin Kaepernick in the second round of this year’s draft.

Smith was the first overall pick by this team in the 2005 NFL draft, and he simply has never worked out as their starter. He has had numerous chances, even a big commitment by the former regime in San Francisco to protect him and keep him on his feet in last year’s NFL draft. Granted the situation for the 49ers has never been ideal, and we could argue that he is not gotten a real good shot, but Smith has never exactly got it done either.

His career QB rating is just 72.1. He has thrown 51 career touch downs and 53 career picks. His completion percentage is over 57% so he has talent, but for whatever reason his tenure in San Fran has been disastrous. He has only started 16 games in a season once, and this team has given up on him several times.

In my mind that means he needs a fresh start on a new team, or that he is simply not going to pan out as a NFL caliber talent. I like the idea of having two young guys competing for the starting spot, but this team is not going to win with Smith. I think we know that already.