By Cam Inman, San Jose Mercury News –
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Peyton Manning isn’t coming to the 49ers.
Is Alex Smith coming back?
That multimillion-dollar question faced the 49ers once Manning opted Monday morning to join the Denver Broncos and launch his comeback from four neck surgeries.
A day after Smith took a free-agency visit to the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers resumed contract talks with the incumbent starting quarterback in an effort to lure back their 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick, ESPN reported.
Smith had been hoping for a stronger commitment than the 49ers’ three-year, $24 million offer that included some $10 million guaranteed, a potential deal that’s been there even during the 49ers’ courting of Manning.
“We have a contract on the table, and it’s up to him,” 49ers CEO Jed York said. “We’d like for him to be here, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Smith is possibly upset over what he considers the 49ers’ perceived lack of loyalty and respect. It’s believed coach Jim Harbaugh met Monday with Smith to repair any potential damage, CSN Bay Area reported.
Asked if he expects Smith to remain the 49ers quarterback, York said: “I hope he is. I trust Trent (Baalke, the general manager) and Jim to figure it out.”
Unlike the Broncos and Tennessee Titans, the 49ers haven’t commented on their workout last Tuesday with Manning, which came to light Friday. While the 49ers might have been a close second to land Manning, they’ve never publicly expressed their preference of Manning over Smith.
York declined to address any pursuit of Manning, instead stating: “I wish him the best in Denver.”
A week into free agency, it appears the 49ers and Smith are the best option for each other, even more so for Smith’s sake after the Dolphins signed David Garrard to a one-year deal Monday.
While the 49ers offense has added wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham in the past week, the top-notch defense has retained all its starters from last season’s run to the NFC Championship game.
“It’s a phenomenal spot, the best spot in the league for a quarterback right now,” former 49ers quarterback Steve Young told ESPN. “That’s why I thought Peyton Manning would fit there. But Alex would fit there as well.
“It’s great for Alex Smith. Now he can go re-sign and continue that trek to the Super Bowl.”
After taking a red-eye flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Smith spent six hours Sunday at the Dolphins facility.
NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner said he’d advise Smith to return to the 49ers.
“I understand that sometimes feelings can get hurt when the business part comes into it,” Warner said. “What is the best situation for Alex Smith? I don’t think there is any question it’s the 49ers.”
At the 49ers facility Monday, Manning’s move wasn’t a hot topic while some 20 players worked out individually, according to fullback Bruce Miller.
Colin Kaepernick, Smith’s primary backup last season, politely declined to comment while leaving the facility, merely noting that he’s spending his first NFL offseason “working out.”
If Smith opts not to re-sign, Kaepernick would be in line to take over for last year’s NFC West champion.
Harbaugh hasn’t commented on the 49ers’ quarterback situation since backing Smith at February’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, a vote of confidence that Harbaugh has given relentlessly over the past year.
While the 49ers worked out 40 street free agents Monday, Harbaugh exited the facility, hopped in a waiting car and sped away without acknowledging reporters on a nearby sidewalk.
“I’d tell him that when you look around the landscape of the NFL, the best situation for you to succeed is San Francisco,” said Warner, who was courted by the 49ers in 2009 before his final season with the Arizona Cardinals.”You go back to an offense you’re comfortable with, you go back to an offense where you had your best year as a pro, you go back to a team that was in the NFC Championship game.”
—Among those free agents traveling on their own dime for Monday’s audition were quarterbacks Matt Gutierrez (Chiefs, Patriots) and Brian Brohm (Packers, Bills); offensive tackles Alex Barron (Rams) and Langston Walker (Raiders) and linebacker Quentin Moses (Dolphins).
