Indications are that QB Smith will start

Alex Smith remained in a noncontact black jersey Saturday, but the 49ers quarterback is expected to get the green light for Monday night’s game against the visiting Bears.

He has to receive full medical clearance after he sustained a concussion in last week’s tie against the Rams, and the 49ers have listed him as questionable.

Smith presumably has one last post-concussion step to take — a “contact test” — before he receives full clearance. As left tackle Joe Staley explained it, the contact test is not overly scientific. Staley sustained a concussion in a Week 6 loss to the Giants, but was cleared to play four days later against the Seahawks.

“For me, I just basically had to bang against another person with my helmet … basically, they see how you feel,” said Staley.

By all accounts, Smith has been taking the first-team snaps in practice this past week.

On Wednesday, backup Colin Kaepernick said he didn’t take extra snaps in that day’s practice. On Thursday, tight end Delanie Walker said Smith was calling all the plays during a walk-through when coach Jim Harbaugh was absent to have a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat.

Tight end Vernon Davis has declared that Smith will start (“Right now it looks like Alex will be our quarterback, for sure,” he said on Wednesday), and cornerback Carlos Rogers has teased Smith about his powers of recovery.

“‘Was it that the game got tough?’ ” Rogers said he asked Smith. “‘Did you really have a concussion? What was going on because you passed the test so quick? C’mon, Alex, nobody’s passed a (concussion) test that quick.’ It’s always in fun. Just glad to see that he’s back and he’s healthy.” Briefly: Cornerback Chris Culliver (shoulder), who has been limited in practice, was listed as probable. … Nine other players were listed as probable, including running back Frank Gore (ribs, hand).