Alex Smith: 'Crazy' that Kaepernick's still unsigned

Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick used to battle for the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback job. Five years later, Smith is quarterbacking the Kansas City Chiefs, and he wonders why Kaepernick is unemployed.

"Crazy to think he's not playing," Smith said to Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. "Yeah, that's a crazy thing. As good as he was playing. Young, strong, I felt like he had a long career ahead of him. Crazy that at this point he's out of a job. ...

"A lot's changed in those few years obviously since I've been gone and came here. Everything that's gone on since, it's not something I saw coming, knowing Kap."

Smith and Kaepernick both started for the 49ers in 2012, but the year ended with Smith on the shelf with a concussion and Kaepernick leading the team to the Super Bowl. Smith was shipped off to the Chiefs a month later.

At the time, Kaepernick was thought to be the new breed of quarterback. Five years on, however, he's a 29-year-old without a job.

"It's hard for me to comment on it," Smith said. "I don't know. Lot going on in that landscape right now. Certainly when I was there, he was playing at a really, really high level, right? Had a lot in front of him as far as a career goes. He was playing really good football."