Alex Smith sat down with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area this week at the celebrity golf tournament near South Lake Tahoe. The former San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Commanders quarterback discussed several topics. Throughout the conversation, one thing was clear. Despite some rough years with the team, Smith, who calls the Bay Area home, is a Niners fan.
One of the reasons Smith is so fond of the 49ers is the head coach, Kyle Shanahan.
"I'm such a fan of his, not only from an Xs and Os perspective, but just like the culture he brings and sets," Smith told Maiocco. "And I love what he's done, he and [general manager] John Lynch, and what they've built. And I think it's so sustainable the way they've built it. And so it's so much fun to watch.
"It's kind of a throwback style of football, especially today, with the run game, the play-action pass, the misdirection. I just think the way they do it is so much fun. It's so fun as a fan."
Smith, now an analyst for ESPN, hopes to observe some 49ers training camp practices this offseason. The former quarterback admits that he wonders what playing in a system like the one in Santa Clara might be like.
"I love to think about it sometimes because it is one of the best systems for a quarterback in the league, period," Smith said. "... The way it's built and put together with the run game, with the play-action pass, with the misdirection, and screens, you never feel like you have to do too much. Certainly, there are a few plays a game that you're going to be expected to make, but there's also a lot of freebies, a lot of gimmes out there for you."
It doesn't hurt that the offense is loaded with playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Brandon Aiyuk. It's something Smith didn't always have at his disposal during his time with the 49ers. At least, not at the level the team has today.
"I mean, at every position, there's somebody that can really do a lot with the ball in their hands," Smith said. "And so that's such a nice place to be as a quarterback, knowing you don't have to force the ball anywhere, and you just go out there and run the system. Where's the defense telling me to throw it? Throw it there on time, and let them do the work, and let the offense work for you.
"And again, [that's not the case] everywhere, so it would be a great place to play. I definitely would have loved to have been in those quarterback rooms as a player and kind of, I think, soaked up that knowledge."
