The next chapter of Alex Smith's NFL career begins with certainty. It must be a nice change of pace.
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Speaking at Smith's introductory news conference with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday, coach Andy Reid made it clear that Smith will be his starting quarterback in 2013.
Chase Daniel was brought aboard Tuesday to serve as Smith's backup, the same role he held with the New Orleans Saints under Drew Brees. Smith sits atop the Chiefs' depth chart, a perch he has desired ever since he was Wally Pipp'd out of his job with the San Francisco 49ers, who traded him to Kansas City.
"It's what I've wanted from the start, from when all this trade talk first started, was to end up here," Smith told Rich Eisen on NFL Network. "I'm thankful it worked out and excited to get to work."
Reid told the media he admired Smith's ability from afar during the quarterback's college days at Utah, and revealed he'd kicked the tires about Smith in past years.
"When I was at Philadelphia, for whatever reason we seemed to play (the 49ers) every year, and I got to see him first hand," Reid said, according to The Sacramento Bee. "He was somebody if I had the chance, I would want on my team. So I did inquire about him periodically with the 49ers."
Now Reid has his guy and Smith gets to go from one respected quarterback coach to another. Things don't look so bleak in Kansas City anymore.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
