Alex Smith arrived in the NFL as the first overall pick of the 2005 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Despite this high status, when Jim Harbaugh arrived at the NFC franchise in 2011 as the new head coach, his standing was uncertain; the quarterback revealed this on Friday during an appearance on “The Krueg Show.”
According to him, when Harbaugh arrived from Stanford, it seemed like everyone’s head was on the chopping block.
“It was so strange looking back,” Smith said (8:12). Honestly, I thought I was gone, too. My contract was up, and those first six years had been incredibly rocky with multiple head coaches and six different coordinators. I was personally frustrated because I hadn’t played up to my own expectations and developed into the player I dreamed I’d become with the no. 1 pick.”
In the end, Smith kept his starting role, at least for the 2011 season, but would lose his spot to Colin Kaepernick in 2012 after suffering a concussion in Week 10. Up until that point of the season, Alex Smith was on pace to set career highs in completion percentage, passing yards, yards-per-attempt, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards.
For the 2013 season, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he would start for five seasons, until Patrick Mahomes took over the starting role.
Alex Smith on Garrett Nussmeier’s future in the NFL
In an interview published on Saturday by Chiefs Wire, via USA Today, Alex Smith spoke about the newest quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs: Garrett Nussmeier.
The Chiefs chose the former Heisman favorite and potential first-round pick in the seventh round of the 2026 draft. However, for Smith, that doesn’t really matter. For the former quarterback, Nussmeier has to play up to the potential he was once considered to have, and Kansas City is the perfect place to achieve this.
“I think regardless of where you’re drafted, he wants to reach his potential, and as a quarterback, you’re such a product of the people around you, the 10 guys in the huddle, the system you run, the environment, and positions you get put in, and what more could you ask for to play for Andy Reid and learn from Patrick Mahomes?” Smith said. “What a gift, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care how much you want to play right now, this is a gift, and take it.
“There’s so much you can learn, not only in the classroom, but also from one of the best in Andy Reid. This guy’s been around so many quarterbacks that I think the unique thing is that all have their own tool set, and Andy’s found a way for them to utilize their tool set and be them.”
The one problem is that he will be unlikely to get the opportunity to start, as Patrick Mahomes’ job is beyond secure at this point in his career.
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