Citing multiple sources, media outlets Wednesday reported that former Helix Charter High School star Alex Smith, will be traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Smith, who lost his starting quarterback job to Colin Kaepernick in Week 9 last season after sustaining a concussion, will now get a chance to lead a team again.
He joins former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid in Kansas City, where the duo will help to recharge a passing offense that ranked dead last in the NFL last year at just 169 yards per game.
There will likely be no quarterback competition for Smith in Kansas City, as the Chiefs released their 2012-13 starter Matt Cassell as well on Wednesday.
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By moving to the AFC West, Smith will be able to return to San Diego at least once a year, when the Chiefs play the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.
Smith, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005, was 19-5-1 as a starter the last two years in San Francisco. Last season, at the time of his demotion, he ranked third in the entire NFL in quarterback rating. He led the league in completion percentage at 70 percent.
After Kaepernick's metoeric rise to stardom, the 49ers found themselves with a problem: a starter-level quarterback, making starter-level money, on the bench. It was a luxury the organization decided it could not afford.
Smith is pegged to make the $8.5 million base salary next year on a one-year deal, but there is not yet word on whether the Chiefs are looking to sign the La Mesa native to a longer contract.
The 28-year-old quarterback has thrown for 14,280 yards with 81 touchdowns and 63 interceptions in 80 career games.
The 49ers also made out well in the deal, acquiring Kansas City's second round pick (No. 34 overall) in 2013, and a conditional pick in the 2014 draft. The Chiefs own the first pick in this year's draft, coming up in April draft, after finishing 2-14 last season.
