With the 49ers missing out on Peyton Manning and Alex Smith still available, coach Jim Harbaugh spent time on Monday trying to patch up his relationship with the quarterback for whom Harbaugh previously had expressed unequivocal loyalty.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports that Harbaugh and Smith met for an hour on Monday, with Harbaugh trying to persuade Smith that retuning to the 49ers is in the player’s best interests.
The 49ers have offered Smith $24 million over three years, with roughly $10 million guaranteed.
Smith reportedly isn’t happy with the numbers, but he doesn’t really have many (any) other choices right now.
The first pick in the 2005 draft likely senses that he’ll be on a shorter leash in 2012, and that Colin Kaepernick could take over if the team struggles to duplicate its stellar and unexpected 13-3 record from 2011. Still, with no other viable options elsewhere, Smith should realize that extending his unlikely run with the team to eight seasons makes the most sense.