When Colin Kaepernick took over as the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback earlier this season and went on to show his ability, it was widely expected that the team would trade Alex Smith over the offseason. However, Smith is expected to seek his release before the start of the free agency period, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
But the player prefers not to afford the 49ers a chance to trade him. Instead, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Smith is expected to seek his release before the start of free agency.
While this move would potentially allow Smith to pick his
next team rather than have the location be dictated by whatever trade the 49ers
can complete, it would also be a calculated risk, according to Florio. If Smith
is released and not traded he would be losing the $8.5 million he’s set to earn
in 2013.
However, that $8.5 million price tag could make Smith hard
to be traded considering his questionable track record. Unless San Francisco is
able to trade Smith to a team he wants to go to, it would appear that the
quarterback is prepared to part ways with his money in order to land where he
wants.
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