Over the summer, many had the San Francisco 49ers pegged among the leading contenders for Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. The team had a first-year head coach in Jim Harbaugh, Luck's former college coach, and were in a sort of light rebuilding mode. They also re-signed Alex Smith, their first overall pick in the 2005 draft that just never seemed to catch on in the NFL. Now, San Francisco, at 10-2, has the division locked up and homefield advantage in the playoffs all but assured. They might also have Alex Smith around beyond this season, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Smith was re-signed this season, after the lockout ended, to a one-year contract worth $4 million. Maiocco cites speculation in league circles that Smith could get a deal a two- or three-year deal that pays him somewhere between $8 and $11 million each year. That would be a relative bargain for a steady, if unspectacular quarterback.

San Francisco selected quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Re-signing Smith would give the Nevada product more time to ease into the role playing behind Smith.

Of course, Smith could always choose to test the waters of free agency, cashing in on a solid season. That may be less attractive to Smith who struggled early in his career in part because of constant changes in the coaching staff. The idea continuing to play in a system where he thrived might be worth some additional free agent money.