Whether it was the first opinion, second opinion or one somewhere further down the line, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith got the clearance he needed on Wednesday.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Smith passed his first round of concussion tests and Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group passes along word that the quarterback was at Wednesday’s practice wearing a black jersey denoting his status as a non-contact participant. Smith will still have to pass more tests over the rest of the week before he’s given the green light to play against the Bears on Monday night, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Smith took a pair of shots to the head in a short period of time against the Rams. He was hit from behind by linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar and then took another shot when he dove into a pile on a fourth and one play. Smith remained in the game long enough to throw a touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree before being replaced by Colin Kaepernick.
Kaepernick would start if Smith is unable to go on Monday night, but, as of now, it looks like Smith will be in the lineup.