Longtime San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith makes free-agent visit to Miami Dolphins

Alex Smith ventured outside the 49ers' domain for the first time in his career Sunday, making a free-agent visit and subsequently talking contract with the quarterback-challenged Miami Dolphins.

Smith's tenure with the 49ers -- seven years, highlighted by last season's trip to the NFC Championship game -- is more uncertain than ever.

Smith apparently feels stunned and jaded by the 49ers' lack of long-term commitment to him, as well as their once-secretive pursuit of Peyton Manning, a source close to Smith said.

Upon arriving in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a red-eye flight Sunday morning, Smith downplayed any hurt feelings from his liquefied ground as the 49ers' incumbent quarterback.

"This is the NFL. I guess nothing surprises me anymore," Smith told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I never thought a year ago Manning would be a free agent either. I'm never surprised by anything."

The 49ers, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans are presumably the finalists to land Manning, who is expected to announce Monday or Tuesday where he will resume a decorated career that was interrupted last season after he underwent four neck surgeries in less than two years.

Smith, idle his first five days of free agency, took a commercial flight out of San Francisco late Saturday night. News of Smith's trip broke on Twitter from a passenger, David Hsu, who happens to write for a Seattle Seahawks' fan website.

Smith's visit to the Dolphins' facility lasted six hours, team sources confirmed. The Dolphins entered contract negotiations with Smith on Sunday night, according to the Denver Post.

A wrench was thrown into Smith's free-agent itinerary when former Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. The Sacramento Bee reported earlier Sunday that Smith was slated to visit the Seahawks this week.

Flynn and Manning were courted by the Dolphins before they hosted Smith, a 49er since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2005. The Dolphins have had 16 starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino's retirement in 2000.

David Garrard, who sat out last season with a back injury after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars, announced on Twitter that he'll work out for the Dolphins on Monday.

After some rocky seasons and an annual turnover at offensive coordinator, Smith broke out in 2011. The 49ers, buoyed by coach Jim Harbaugh's arrival, went 14-4 and reached the NFC Championship game, losing in overtime 20-17 to the New York Giants.

Based on public comments from both sides, Smith's re-signing with the 49ers seemed inevitable. That is until the 49ers worked out Manning last Tuesday in North Carolina.

"He's a Hall of Famer, first ballot, that's all I got to say," 49ers running back Frank Gore told the Associated Press of Manning. "He's one of the best ever to play the game."

Although Gore called the 49ers' turbulent quarterback search "crazy," he expressed confidence in Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke. "I know Coach Harbaugh and Trent Baalke feel good about what they're doing," Gore said. "They know what they're doing."

Smith's visit to South Florida is the first free-agency trip of his career. He was on the market briefly last season but was fully committed to the 49ers, having been given their playbook and organizing player-only workouts during the labor lockout.

Smith returned to the 49ers in August on a one-year deal worth $6.5 million, including $2.5 million through incentives. He has been offered a three-year, $24 million contract, sfgate.com reported Saturday.

In the past 14 months, the Dolphins have come up empty in public courtings of Harbaugh, Manning, Flynn and current St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher.

On Jan. 20, the Dolphins hired former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their coach. Philbin had worked under Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who was Smith's offensive coordinator with the 49ers his rookie season.

If Smith and Manning sign elsewhere, the 49ers likely would promote Colin Kaepernick, who served as Smith's understudy last season after being drafted in the second round out of Nevada.

"I woke up to my timeline blowing up lol did I miss something?" Kaepernick posted Sunday on Twitter.

Other quarterbacks who could be on the 49ers' radar: Josh Johnson, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup who played for Harbaugh at the University of San Diego; and Matt Hasselbeck, if he's released by the Titans upon Manning's potential arrival.

Smith started every game last season and produced six victories via fourth-quarter comebacks, including a 36-32 home thriller over the New Orleans Saints for the 49ers' first playoff win in nine years.

In other news, free-agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, a former Carolina Panther, revealed on Twitter that he plans to visit the 49ers on Tuesday, a day after meeting with the Vikings. Also, former New York Jets tight end Matthew Mulligan is also expected to visit the 49ers.

This article was written by Cam Inman and appeared in the Sacramento Bee.

Posted by Necesitamos Mas Football on 2:33 p. m.. Filed under 49ers , Alex Smith , Dolphins , gallery , Miami , noticias , principal , San Francisco . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0