San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary announced on Monday that Alex Smith will start at quarterback next week against the Indianapolis Colts.
"As far as this upcoming week, Alex Smith will be the quarterback," Singletary said. "We wanted to make the decision based on who I feel gives us the best chance to win."
Smith, the 2005 first overall pick, took over for an ineffective Shaun Hill in the second half of Sunday's game against Houston and nearly rallied the 49ers from a 21-point deficit before eventually dropping a 24-21 decision.
The former Utah gunslinger tied a career high with three touchdown passes and completed 15-of-22 attempts for 206 yards on Sunday. He had not played since 2007 after a mediocre three-year start with the franchise. In 33 career games, Smith has thrown 32 interceptions compared to 22 touchdowns.
Hill won the starting job over Smith in the preseason and led the club to a 3-1 record to start the season. But back-to-back losses and a 79.6 passer rating has lost him the job.
In his third season with San Fran, the 29-year-old Hill threw for 943 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions.
"When I met with Shaun, I told him, 'You gave us the best chance to win at that particular time,'" said Singletary, referring to the beginning of the season. "He's done a great job at this point, but right now, we need to go with Alex. Alex Smith gives us the best chance to win."
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