Report: 49ers Re-Switching Back to Troy Smith

The two-man merry-go-round that is the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback situation has swung back in the direction of Troy.

The NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora reports that the Niners have decided to start Troy Smith for this Sunday's game at St. Louis.

The reasoning behind the decision -- and this is just complete speculation, but it does sound logical -- is that Troy Smith has already beaten the Rams and the Cardinals this season. The 49ers need victories over the Rams and Cardinals on the next two Sundays to make the playoffs, combined with a Seattle loss to Tamp Bay this Sunday and a St. Louis loss to Seattle on Jan 2.

Troy Smith is 3-2 in games he's started this season, while Alex Smith is 2-7 in games he's started.

Regardless of whether you are a die-hard Alex Smith fan or a front-line Troy soldier, it's difficult to maintain respect for a decision-making process that keeps changing its mind on itself.

The 49ers, for whatever it's worth, deny that they have made a decision yet. and insist that both quarterbacks are still switching practice reps even though it is already Wednesday on the week of a do-or-die game.

"No, we have not finalized that," 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Johnson told the NFL Network. "We’re still trying to figure that out. We are practicing both guys and that decision will be made later."

You know, when I was a boy, NFL teams would already "figure that out" prior to Week 16 and with the playoffs on the line.

Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who congratulates Alex and Troy Smith on becoming the first pair NFL quarterabacks on the same team that are both named Smith.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us