Ex-49ers QB Troy Smith signed a two-year deal with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.

Smith, 29, conceded in March that he was "ready to move on to the next chapter," but he clearly still has the itch to play. The former Heisman Trophy winner last played in the NFL in 2010 with the 49ers, starting six games and completing 50.3 percent of his passes for 1,176 yards, five scores, and four picks.

Appearing at the Ohio State Pro Day on Friday, free agent QB Troy Smith conceded that he's "ready to move on to the next chapter of my life."

Smith says he's "open to calls" from NFL teams, but they haven't been coming. The former Heisman Trophy winner is still just 28 years old, but talent limitations and questionable attitude expedited the (likely) end of his pro career. Smith completed 51.7 percent of his passes across four seasons, with an 8:5 TD-to-INT ratio and 7.4 yards per attempt average. He was a solid NFL backup.

Free agent QB Troy Smith said he's not giving up hope latching onto an NFL roster this season.

A few teams reportedly reached out to Smith after he was cut by the Steelers last month, but he admits his future is uncertain. The former Heisman winner may have to look back to the UFL, where he spent the 2011 season. "We'll just keep plugging and plugging," Smith said.

Steelers released QB Troy Smith.

Smith's chances of cracking the Steelers' 53 took a big hit after Pittsburgh re-signed Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch, but it's a troubling sign for his NFL future that he couldn't outlast Jerrod Johnson on the offseason roster. Aside from his six-game cameo at the helm of the 49ers' nightmarishly bad 2010 offense, Smith has attempted just 13 passes since 2007. The end is near for the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner.

Steelers signed QB Troy Smith to a reserve/future contract.

They're also believed to have inked former Lions third-round pick Derrick Williams. The 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Smith spent last season with the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks. We did extensive digging on Smith and could not even find any of his minor-league stats. With Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, and Dennis Dixon all free agents, Smith will have a shot to make the Steelers' 53-man roster in 2012. Behind Ben Roethlisberger, Smith and Texas A&M product Jerrod Johnson are Pittsburgh's only quarterbacks under contract at the moment.

Ex-49ers QB Troy Smith has signed with UFL's Omaha Nighthawks.

Smith's willingness to attack vertically was a breath of fresh air for Niners fans last season until defenses realized he was just playing sandlot ball, holding and waiting for receivers to break free down field. As evidenced by his lack of NFL interest, that style didn't make for the best scouting film.

Free agent QB Troy Smith has worked out for the Dolphins.

Smith has found a soft market after throwing for 1,176 yards and posting a 77.8 quarterback rating in parts of six games for the 49ers last season, but would certainly be an upgrade over current Dolphins' third-stringer Kevin O'Connell. It's possible he could even push Matt Moore for the Dolphins' backup job if he ends up in Miami.

The 49ers failed to extend a tender to potential restricted free agent QB Troy Smith.

Early indications suggest new coach Jim Harbaugh places little value on Smith's skill-set, coming as it does with subpar accuracy. One possibility for Smith is to head across the Bay to Oakland to reunite with former QBs coach Hue Jackson as Jason Campbell's backup.

Free agent QB Troy Smith isn't likely to land a starting job this offseason.

Smith had a decent 2010 season, throwing for 356 yards in the Niners' Week 10 win over the Rams while getting picked off just four times in six games. However, he struggled with fumbles and took an unseemly 18 sacks. Still just 26, he's got plenty of time left in the NFL, but expect him to spend it as a backup.

CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco does not expect free agent QB Troy Smith to return to the 49ers next season.

Smith has two things working against him. Coach Jim Harbaugh's brother, John, soured on him in Baltimore, releasing him before the start of last season. Harbaugh also places an utmost value on accuracy, a quality lacking in Smith's skill-set.

The 49ers are not expected to make re-signing free agent Troy Smith a priority this offseason.

If Smith is re-signed, it might only be as a camp arm. The 49ers appear to be leaning toward keeping Alex Smith, and will draft a quarterback as well as likely add a veteran to round out the depth chart. Troy Smith, 27 in July, has flashed a pretty good arm but shown little else in spot appearances.

49ers GM Trent Baalke confirmed that he will make it a priority to find a quarterback solution via free agency, trade, or the 2011 draft.

"Is the quarterback of the future on this roster? I think it's obvious that he isn't at this point," said Baalke. Due to the uncertainty with the CBA this offseason, trades and free agency are likely to take a backseat to the draft. A veteran option may not reveal itself until late spring or summer. Baalke's remarks also make it clear that neither Troy Smith nor Alex Smith will enter 2011 as the starter.

Troy Smith was benched in favor of Alex Smith in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Rams.

In the third quarter, a struggling Smith threw an interception to O.J. Atogwe. He proceeded to get into an intense shouting match with coach Mike Singletary and Alex Smith started warming up. But Singletary decided to give Troy another chance. He failed. Smith ends up 7-of-19 for 153 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Singletary is clearly grasping at straws at this point. The Niners were only down 22-14 when he changed quarterbacks midway through the fourth quarter.

FOX Sports' John Czarnecki expects 49ers QB Troy Smith to be on a short leash for Sunday's Week 16 game.

Czarnecki is reiterating what coach Mike Singletary said earlier this week, as the situation will apparently dictate which quarterback plays. Troy Smith is expected to get the start, but could be pulled at a moment's notice if Singletary doesn't feel comfortable. You would be hard pressed to trust either in championship week.

Coach Mike Singletary is still not ruling out playing both Troy Smith and Alex Smith against the Rams this week.

"The game will dictate it," said Singletary, "depending on the situation, depending on what they're trying to do, if we can take advantage of what they're doing." We suspect Troy will remain in the game as long as he plays well, but he's still far too much of a risk to be trusted as a fantasy option in Week 16.

Coach Mike Singletary confirmed Thursday that Troy Smith will start against the Rams in Week 16.

This coming on the same day that Dolphins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan conceded that he should have gone with Shaun Hill over Alex Smith in 2007-08. Alex has likely started his last game in San Francicsco. While Troy gives the team a better chance to win, the switch is bad news for Brian Westbrook's PPR value. Vernon Davis remains a TE1 option while Michael Crabtree is still a hit-or-miss WR3.

NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reports that the 49ers have decided to start Troy Smith against the Rams in Week 16.

It's a great move. Alex Smith's Week 14 performance against Seattle's brutally outmatched pass defense was an obvious fluke, as he fell flat against a competent opponent last week versus San Diego. Troy Smith's recent success against the Rams may have been the deciding factor. The former Heisman Trophy winner dropped a 49ers season-high 356 passing yards on St. Louis and didn't turn the ball over in a Week 10 victory. Troy is also a better bet to give San Francisco something in the future. Alex won't be back in 2011.

Coach Mike Singletary is open to the possibility of going back to Troy Smith after Alex Smith's underwhelming performance Thursday night.

"Once again, I want to get back and look at the film," Singletary said. "It wasn't just Alex." Singletary admitted that he nearly pulled Alex from the game, but it wouldn't have been fair to Troy without any first-team snaps during the week. "It is a different thing from going from Troy to Alex," Singletary said. "I think it is a horrific thing." At this point, it looks like Alex will get another start at St. Louis.

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Johnson said he's been limited as a play caller and with in-game adjustments with Troy Smith at quarterback.

There are 350 passing plays in the Niners' playbook and Johnson said that Smith simply doesn't have enough time to learn the playbook because the week's game plan takes priority. It's the main reason San Fran is going back to Alex Smith, who is 1-6 this season as a starter but knows the playbook well.

Troy Smith has been removed as the 49ers starting quarterback.

Troy had a run, but the coaching staff clearly favored Alex Smith's experience with the offense over Troy's ability to make plays on the fly. He'll be a free agent following the season, and shouldn't have a problem finding a job as a backup. Safely drop him in all fantasy formats.