MICHEAL PROFETTA
!["Relationship between Alex Smith and Jim Harbaugh"]( "harbaugh-smith")
It’s been no secret that the 49ers would sign embattled QB Alex Smith as soon as the dust settled on a new labor agreement, but even after Monday’s announcement that Smith plans to sign a contract “as quickly as possible”, it’s still hard to fathom. Few fans would have believed that Smith would still be under center for the ‘Niners in 2011 had you told them last season, when a normally docile San Francisco fan base was booing Smith without mercy seemingly every time he stepped onto the field.
While the grand slam signing of Jim Harbaugh has brought hopes of a return to glory for this once-proud franchise, GM Trent Baalke and Harbaugh could be setting themselves up for a very short honeymoon in ‘Frisco should Smith continue to disappoint. Considering that Smith is the only QB in San Francisco who had the chance to work with Harbaugh before the lockout and digest the playbook, it’s a risk the S.F. brain trust almost had to take for any chance at success this season.
During his early NFL playing days, Harbaugh was a much-maligned QB in Chicago, where he often found himself on the receiving end of one of Mike Ditka’s legendary tongue-lashings. The Singletary/Smith sideline eruptions of 2010 are eerily similar, so one can’t help but think that maybe Harbaugh sees a little bit of himself in Smith. If Smith can turn his career around with a great 2011 season, it would serve as redemption for both student and teacher, while ranking as one of the best NFL comeback stories in recent memory. Conversely, if Smith follows his career trend and lays an egg, it will be just another reminder to 49ers’ fans of “what could have been”, had the ‘Niners drafted Bay Area native Aaron Rodgers, and not Smith, with the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
It’s official. Nate Clements is an ex-San Francisco 49er.
