The trade deadline has come and gone, and despite all the hubbub, rumblings and rumors about Torrey Smith's prospects on receiver-poor contenders, the wideout remains with the 49ers for the time being.
But reports that Smith had suitors in Phialdelphia and elsewhere got the veteran wide receiver thinking about his hypothetical future, one without Chip Kelly and Colin Kaepernick.
"I think the selfish side of you, you think sometimes a change of scenery would be a good thing," Smith said Tuesday. "But I know I'm very committed to everybody in this locker room and playing well.
"I'm a 49er. I'm going to go out there and play my ass off for these guys. It's not something where I'm going out there and crying, banging down the door, saying, 'Get me out of here.' I understand the business side of it, too. Things haven't gone the way any of us expected. So you're never surprised when these things come about."
Smith confirmed that "there were negotiations" going on between the Niners and Chip Kelly's old team, as was reported, but nothing came of them by the time the clock hit 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old receiver is having a down year by his metrics; he hasn't recorded more than three receptions in any game this season and is on pace for a career-low in receiving yards. His performance is in part no doubt to the quarterback situation and the lack of surrounding talent in San Francisco. By contrast, it would have been interesting to see what type of role Smith could have played in Philadelphia where a rookie QB is leading an efficient, slant-heavy offense.
Still, Smith appears happy where he is, on the ground level in one of the most respected organizations in football.
"The tradition here is real," Smith added. "You got to get back to that. I take a lot of pride in playing for this organization and understand the history, and also taking a lot of pride in getting it back to where it belongs."
