page_title: Alex Smith
section_title: 2009 season
hierarchical_section_title: Alex Smith / Professional career / San Francisco 49ers / 2009 season
caption_attribution_description: Alex Smith running onto the field before a 2009 game against the Chicago Bears
context_page_description: Alexander Douglas Smith is an American football quarterback for the Washington Football Team of the National Football League. He played college football for the Utah Utes, where he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year in 2004 and led Utah to a victory over Pittsburgh at the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, after which Utah finished in the national top five.
  Following his college career, Smith was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. During his first six seasons for them, he played for a different offensive coordinator each year, and struggled with injuries. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2011 however, Smith enjoyed his strongest statistical season, leading the 49ers to their first NFC West division title and first playoff victory since 2002, along with their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1997. The following season, Smith sustained a concussion in the middle of the season and was replaced by Colin Kaepernick. Despite posting strong statistical numbers during the season before the injury, Smith did not regain his starting position after he had recovered.
  In 2013, Smith was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.
context_section_description: After the pay cut, Smith said that he was ready to compete for the starting quarterback spot, primarily against Shaun Hill.
  Mike Singletary became the head coach after a successful term as the interim head coach in 2008, and Martz was fired as offensive coordinator due to the huge differences in offensive philosophies between himself and Singletary. Jimmy Raye II was hired to replace him, marking Smith's fifth different offensive coordinator in five seasons. During the off-season, the 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree to be the featured receiver that Smith had been lacking throughout his NFL career. After restructuring his contract with San Francisco, Smith lost the battle for the starting quarterback position to Shaun Hill. However, in a Week 7 game against the Houston Texans, Smith replaced Hill in the third quarter, after Hill had performed poorly and the Niners faced a 21–0 first half deficit. Smith led the team back with three touchdown passes, all to tight end Vernon Davis, but fell short of victory, 24–21. Singletary named Smith as the 49ers' starting quarterback the next day at his weekly press conference on October 26.
  After his return as the 49ers' starting quarterback, Smith displayed signs of progress, despite the team's 3–4 record in his first seven starts. He led the 49ers to a Week 12 victory, 20–3, against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing for 232 yards with two touchdown passes while posting a 96.8 passer rating. In a Week 13 match-up against the NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks, he recorded the first 300-yard passing game of his career, completing 27 of 45 throws with two touchdown passes. Overall, he finished the season with 2,350 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as the 49ers finished with an 8–8 record.
caption: Smith in November 2009
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