Smith ready at last for 49ers
Because 49ers inside linebacker Malcolm Smith is a Super Bowl MVP, it’s easy to identify the highlight of his NFL career.
The lowlight? It isn’t a specific moment. Rather, it’s a recent stretch that followed his hamstring injury Aug. 9, which was preceded by a leg injury just before training camp, which came after he missed the entire 2017 season with a torn pectoral.
“It’s probably been the most challenging time that I’ve ever had playing football,” Smith said of the previous two weeks. “Just being away, then trying to come back and then you have all these hurdles trying to come back.”
On Saturday, Smith, 29, returned to the field for the first two series, playing 10 snaps, in a 23-17 preseason loss to the Colts. It came 16 days after he
made his long-awaited 49ers debut and played six snaps in the preseason opener before exiting with a balky hamstring.
Against Indianapolis, Smith played the fewest snaps of any of the defensive starters, most of whom played the entire first half. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said it was a nod to his injury and the fact that the 49ers need him fully healthy for the regular-season opener at Minnesota on Sept. 9, when inside linebacker Reuben Foster will serve the first game of a two-game suspension.
Asked about the status of his hamstring, Smith said it was “pretty good” and his performance was “all right.”
“But for me,” he said, “it’s just a positive in getting out there.”
Smith says he has struggled with guilt since signing a five-year contract with $12 million guaranteed in March 2017. In his 17 months with his new team, he has played 16 snaps, none in a regular-season game.
“Absolutely, you feel guilty,” Smith said. “You feel like what more could you have done. You’re letting people down. All those things go through your head … But they’re not really helpful, so you’ve got to just focus on whatever is going to help you move forward.”
Smith was known for dependability and durability from 2012 through 2016 with the Seahawks and Raiders. He played in 70 of 73 regular-season and playoff games. With Seattle, he was named Super Bowl MVP in the Seahawks’ 43-8 rout of Denver in February 2014. Also with Seattle, Smith spent three seasons with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, and that connection helped bring him to San Francisco.
Last year, before Smith was injured early in training camp, his knowledge of Saleh’s 4-3 defense was a reason he thrived in offseason practices, and the 49ers were expecting him to make a significant impact in 2017.
A year later, Smith might not be guaranteed to retain his starting spot after Foster returns from his suspension in Week 3. On Saturday, rookie inside linebacker Fred Warner, a third-round pick, started alongside Smith and had a team-high five tackles in 34 snaps. On the game’s second play, Warner shot into the backfield and dropped running back Jordan Wilkins for a 3-yard loss.
“He’s done a great job all offseason,” Smith said, “and I think everybody can depend on him.”
Said cornerback Richard Sherman of Warner’s starting debut: “He played fast. He trusted himself — he trusted that he knew his responsibility. He did everything we expected him to do.”
Smith is eager to do what was expected of him when he signed with the 49ers.
Given his lack of snaps this summer, Smith acknowledged he’d like to play in the preseason finale Thursday against the Chargers, a game in which starters rarely play.
However, after enduring the lowest stretch of his career, he doesn’t want to take an unnecessary risk. That is, he doesn’t want to miss finally playing for the 49ers in a game that matters.
“I want to play (Thursday), but at the same time, I’ve got to do what’s smart moving forward,” Smith said. “I’ve already had enough challenges.” Injury report: Cornerback Jimmie Ward (quadriceps) and wide receivers Dante Pettis (hamstring) and Aaron Burbridge (knee) should be available for the regular-season opener, but won’t play in the preseason finale. Burbridge is fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster.