Alex Smith, what he’s done over the last two years for this football team, this is a mistake in not starting him. He needs to be the guy and it’s going to be tough if (Colin) Kaepernick doesn’t play well today and now you’re coming back saying, ‘Alex, we’re going to put you back in there.’

I believe that the Lord has a plan for each of us that's better than anything we can imagine, even if that plan isn't obvious to us at every stage. He prepared me for this over a long period of time - in lower-profile locker rooms and the grocery store and in Europe, through all the personal tragedies and in spite of the people who doubted me along the way.

I am where I am because I believed and I never gave up.

I expected to play well, I expected to lead my team, and I expected to win.

They're willing to let Matt sit and wait until they believe he's ready and I can't do the best I'm capable of doing. I'm completely comfortable with that.

I've done it for a long time and I didn't expect it to be any different here.

As I get older, I might need to keep the stubble off. As the years come, it helps to look younger I guess.