Quarterback Alex Smith doesn’t want to interrupt his career-best season by discussing a contract extension with the 49ers.

“(It’s) not something I’ve talked about, or even really thought about. It’s so early,” Smith said Wednesday. “I’m focused on playing football. That’s not something I would want to think about in the middle of the season, to be honest with you.”

But he indeed is interested in addressing the topic after the season with general manager Trent Baalke and coach Jim Harbaugh. Added Smith: “That’s something that we can deal with later.”

Smith is playing on a one-year, $5 million contract he signed July 29. He has started every game for the NFC West-leading 49ers (8-1).

“It’s so fun coming to work every day with the group of guys we have, and doing what we’re doing,” added Smith, who’s completed 64 percent of his passes (151 of 236) for 1,709 yards with 11 touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Running back Frank Gore did not practice for the first time since reporting to training camp. Gore injured his right knee in the second quarter of Sunday’s 27-20 win over the New York Giants. He had six carries for zero yards before sitting out the second half. Gore watched Wednesday’s practice while wearing sweats and his No. 21 jersey, sans his helmet and shoulder pads.

Kicker David Akers’ 91 points put him on pace to tally 162 this season, which would break Jerry Rice’s single-season 49ers record (138 points, 1987). Said Akers: “If I end up breaking that, they need to put an asterisk on it. Because you just don’t beat a Jerry Rice.”

Punter Andy Lee is the only 49er leading his position through the first wave of Pro Bowl voting on NFL.com. The NFC’s leader at inside linebacker is not four-time Pro Bowler Patrick Willis but rather the Green Bay Packers’ Desmond Bishop, who attended Cal and City College of San Francisco.

Defensive tackle Justin Smith did not practice and rested, as has been the case the past couple Wednesdays. Limited in practice were linebacker NaVorro Bowman (neck), cornerback Chris Culliver (shoulder), defensive tackle Ray McDonald (hamstring) and wide receivers Michael Crabtree (foot) and Braylon Edwards (knee).

Alex Smith has been nominated as Comeback Player of the Year in the NFL Players Association’s Pulse Awards. Other candidates are Tony Romo (Cowboys), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Steve Smith (Panthers) and Jermichael Finley (Packers).

Sunday’s 49ers-Giants game was the fifth-most watched show of the fall television season, with an average of 25.9 million viewers, according to the NFL.

Harbaugh said Willis plays “downhill” better than any other linebacker in the league. That means Willis “is able to even burp a lineman upon contact,” Harbaugh said. Willis was not mentioned on the injury report; he exited the locker room Monday with an ice pack wrapped to his left ribs.

Could the 49ers overlook Sunday’s game against Arizona (3-6) considering it falls between nationally televised contests against the Giants and a Thanksgiving night affair at Baltimore? Left tackle Joe Staley replied: “This is not a trap game for us. It’s a rivalry game. It’s a physical game regardless of the records.”

The 49ers lead the league with a plus-13 turnover differential. Of their 233 points, 58 have come on the ensuing series after their 12 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries.