Alex Smith gets left behind as 49ers move on with a new quarterback

The old notion that a player can't lose his job due to injury is used almost exclusively by terrible coaches. Good coaches play the best players, regardless of how they got their chance. And Alex Smith is no longer the 49ers' best option at quarterback. The Colin Kaepernick era is in full swing, and there's probably no turning back for San Francisco. Kaepernick has led wins over the Bears and Saints in back-to-back weeks and has played well in those two starts. Sitting and watching has to be quietly eating at Smith. There aren't many times when it's OK to feel sympathy for a former top overall pick that has made tens of millions of dollars in his career, but this might be one of them. [Also: Colts cheerleaders shave heads to support Chuck Pagano ]