There seems to be an unsolved mystery at 49ers headquarters: Who's the "someone" who told Colin Kaepernick that coach Jim Harbaugh said the 49ers' quarterback position is "an open job?"
If it's someone close to Kaepernick, then he might want to have a word with that person, because Harbaugh was selling something else to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
"We're all in lockstep as an organization that Alex Smith is our guy," Harbaugh said Tuesday from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. "It's well-documented. You saw the way he played this year. (He is a) tremendous leader on our football team."
That's right in line with previous statements from Harbaugh, who sung Smith's praises all season -- even campaigned for him to make the Pro Bowl -- after the former No. 1 overall pick finally performed in his seventh year. Smith, who posted career-best numbers in 2011 with 3,144 passing yards, a 61.4 percent completion percentage and a 90.7 passer rating, is a free agent almost guaranteed to re-sign with the Niners.
Heck, Smith is even going to serve as Harbaugh's caddie on the first day of the golf tournament at Pebble Beach. Next to the wink and gun, unofficial seals of approval might not get any stronger.
As for Kaepernick, the Niners' second-round pick from a year ago should approach this as a competition and push Smith all offseason -- for himself and for the betterment of the team. It's probably just best, though, if Kaepernick isn't sharing with the media what he hears from mysterious third parties.
Can't imagine that goes over well with Harbaugh.
