SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is unhappy with the decision by coach Jim Harbaugh to bench him in favor of Colin Kaepernick for all the decisions one might expect.
“I feel like the only thing I’ve done to lose my job is get a concussion,” Smith said.
In his final complete game, Smith completed 18 of 19 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns without an interception and was honored as the NFC offensive player of the week. He pulled himself out the following week after experiencing blurry vision, then notified the team’s medical staff of recurring symptoms later in the week, which opened the door for Kaepernick to make his first start.
For Smith, the timing of the move makes it even more difficult to swallow.
“It stings the most just because I felt there was something special going on here,” he said. “You sacrifice and invest so much time and like I said, I really felt like I haven’t done anything besides get a concussion to really to facilitate this. I felt like I’m playing good football.”
Harbaugh and Smith discussed the decision before it was announced to the team. Harbaugh said where he was coming from and why the move was made, but it did nothing to appease the quarterback who has won 20 of his last 26 starts.
“No resentment (toward Harbaugh). I don’t get to make those decisions. That’s what he gets paid to do,” Smith said. “He’s the head coach, I play football. That’s what I’m going to continue to do, continue to get ready.”
Smith said he and Kaepernick were told of the decision together in a meeting with Harbaugh. Yet he was prepared for the decision.
“I knew based off of the last couple weeks, the way things had gone, didn’t know what was going to happen but I knew it was a possibility,” Smith said.
“… We sat down in there and talked. It wasn’t just a one-sentence thing. He explained where he was coming from and felt like it was a difficult situation but he wanted to go in this direction.”
That said, Smith didn’t want to make his case for starting through the media.
“I don’t think talk is the place to do it,” he said. “You state your case with your play, and I felt I did that. I feel like the only thing I did to lose my job was get a concussion.”
Whether another opportunity to start for the 49ers ever comes, remains to be seen.
Smith wins NFC honor
— Linebacker Aldon Smith was named NFC defensive player of the month for November after registering nine sacks, 18 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles in three games. He is the first 49ers LB to be awarded the honor since Ken Norton Jr. in October of 1995.
— Running back LaMichael James and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins have not been informed if they will be active Sunday against St. Louis. Both players figure to see their first playing time of their careers because of the season-ending injuries to RB Kendall Hunter and WR Kyle Williams.
— The team is not expected to sign an additional kicker this week after working out Nate Kaeding and Billy Cundiff on Tuesday. The team has held off on its filling its final spot on the 53-man roster because of a pelvis injury to kicker David Akers. Akers showed no ill effects of the injury in practice Wednesday or Thursday.
— Wide receiver Michael Crabtree has a touchdown reception in each of the last five games against the Rams.
INJURY IMPACT:
— TE Delanie Walker (hip, ribs) was limited in practice Thursday.
— K David Akers (pelvis) was limited in practice Thursday.
— S Darcel McBath (concussion) was limited in practice Thursday.
— LB Aldon Smith (shoulder) was limited in practice Thursday and wore a non-contact jersey.
— CB Tarell Brown (knee) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— RT Anthony Davis (finger) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— S Dashon Goldson (ribs, calf) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— LB Tavares Gooden (elbow) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— RB Frank Gore (wrist, ribs) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— WR Mario Manningham (shoulder) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— S Donte Whitner (knee) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.
— LB Patrick Willis (shoulder) practiced fully on Thursday despite nursing his injury.