Originally posted by PatrickWillisHOF:
I am truly confused about the decisions our front office has made. What other franchise has ever given a quarterback 6 years to prove themself? Are they afraid that if they let Alex go he will "turn out to be the quarterback that everybody hoped?". That 4th down throw to Moran Norris sums up Alex Smith's career. Why is Alex Smith still the starting quarterback for our team? It is 2010 for god's sake! Please end the Alex Smith era!!!!!!
Well, the game was different then but since you said "ever"...Terry Bradshaw was between horrible and mediocre for his first 5 years, including throwing more interceptions than TDs in 4 of those years and throwing as manu INTs and TDs in the 5th year. In his 6th year, with a run first team and emerging great defense, the Steelers won their first SB. In fact, in his first 2 years, he threw 19 TDs and 46 INTs (wow!).
Look, it is a little too simple to say the 49ers have been afraid to move on from Smith and that he's getting "6 years to prove himself." Essentially 2 of those years were wiped out by injury but if you really want to get down to it, his first 4 years really didn't matter. The time he had to "prove himself," the answer is that he showed enough over the last 10.5 games last year to earn the starting job for this year. That was reasonable move then, it is a reasonable move now notwithstanding yesterday's debacle.
This season was always going to be about Smith and the direction the franchise takes. If he does poorly, he will be gone. If he and the team do well, he'll be back. Obviously, things are not off to a great start, but it doesn't change what this season was always about.
In the event he fails, the bright spot about giving Smith this time will be that the talent base on the rest of the team has been built up. The O-Line is filled with high draft picks; Gore remains a top RB and Dixon looks like a good young back-up; the receiving corps is as good as its been since the 49ers last made the playoffs; the defense is young and fast as well (though CB help is probably the next priority after QB). If Smith fails, they will kind of be the pre-Favre Vikings where the right QB could take them quickly to another level. The questions then become who is that next QB? Is there a new HC and/or OC that comes along with that QB (i.e. Do you fire Singletary, hire Gruden and let him pick/groom his QB?)
hmmmm, i couldda sworn..... dont feel like finding the post. maybe it was someone else.
