Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is ready for a new start with the Kansas City Chiefs this season. Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson is excited to have Smith as his starting quarterback, according to The Kansas City Star.
Really excited.
"Ultimately, every team has to have a quarterback,” Pederson said in an interview with the news paper. “I think we have the best in the league.”
Hopefully as an offensive coordinator in the NFL, Pederson is aware of guys like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Some may even say Smith is not better than the guy who replaced him in San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick.
Regardless of whether or not Pederson believes his statement, he's confident in his new quarterback.
“There are a lot of great ones,” Pederson said, “but over time, Alex has proven he can get it done. He’s a sharp guy, he brings a wealth of knowledge, he’s experienced, he’s a proven winner the last couple of years, and he needs a team to embrace him.”
Smith (104.1 passer rating, 1,737 yds, 13 TD through 10 games in 2012 regular season) has proved himself to be an above average quarterback in the NFL. He took the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship game in 2011 and, according to the ESPN.com, ranked seventh in Total QBR last season:
Petyon Manning—84.1
Tom Brady—77.1
Colin Kaepernick—76.8
Matt Ryan—74.5
Aaron Rodgers—72.5
Robert Griffin III—71.4
Alex Smith—70.1
Smith was performing well last season until he suffered a head injury in the middle of the season. Kaepernick (98.3 passer rating 1, 814 yds and 10 TD through 13 games in 2012 regular season) started in his place and played so well that he kept the starting position once Smith returned. He led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last season where they lost 31-28 to the Baltimore Ravens.
