49ers' kicker Joe Nedney was fined $7,500 by the NFL on Wednesday for making an obscene gesture at his home fans during last week's game against New Orleans. Nedney blamed frustration for his sly gesticulation in the third quarter of the 49ers' loss to the Saints at Candlestick Park, their fifth consecutive defeat.

Quarterback Alex Smith will start for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday against New Orleans, coach Mike Nolan said. Smith, out since Sept. 30 with a separated shoulder, went through his second full day of practice Thursday, leading the 49ers' first-team offense with no apparent discomfort. He hasn't played since injuring his right shoulder on the third play of San Francisco's 23-3 loss to Seattle. Nolan nearly used Smith last week against the New York Giants but elected to hold out the former No. 1 overall draft pick. "It's not so much my confidence in him; it's his confidence in taking reps [in practice]," Nolan said. "I expect him to play well, and he looked good. He looked healthy today." San Francisco is 0-3 since Smith's injury, with Sunday's visit from the Saints looming as a key moment in the season.

Frank Gore says he was frustrated when he questioned whether his teammates really trust Jim Hostler, the San Francisco 49ers' first-year offensive coordinator. Yet with losses piling up like tacklers on top of the Pro Bowl running back, Gore won't be the only person wondering about Hostler until the 49ers (2-4) get it together. "I feel like we don't have the trust," Gore said Sunday after the 49ers' 33-15 loss to the New York Giants. "We're not trusting each other. We're not trusting the coordinator. ... I just know that when we had Norv Turner, he had been doing it for a while. Whenever he said something, we wanted to do it. And now I feel that a lot of people, when coach Hoss or somebody calls something, it gets in the back of their heads, 'Is he calling the right play?'"

The San Francisco 49ers re-signed lineback Hannibal Navies and waived fullback Zak Keasey, the team announced on Monday.

Alex Smith believes he's ready to take over the 49ers again. Coach Mike Nolan thinks his quarterback's competitive streak is healthier than his shoulder. Trent Dilfer will start again for the 49ers on Sunday, though Smith also will be in uniform when they visit the Giants.

Tight end Vernon Davis returned to 49ers' practice Wednesday and appears on track to play Sunday against the New York Giants. It was the first action for Davis since injuring his right knee last month in a game at Pittsburgh. Though his participation was limited and he wore a protective brace, Davis said he was able to perform on the practice field at full speed. "I feel good," he said. "I should be able to play."

The 49ers on Tuesday signed wide receiver LeRon McCoy, who spent last season on injured reserve with a thumb injury. Originally drafted by the Cardinals in 2005, the 6-1, 219-pound McCoy played in 10 games as a rookie, starting four. McCoy went to the Cardinals' training camp this year but was released before the start of the regular season.

Former 49ers President Carmen Policy has just been recruited by Mayor Gavin Newsom to lead the city's effort to keep the team from exiting for the South Bay - bringing the veteran football executive's long journey to build a stadium in San Francisco full circle. Policy headed the $100 million bond measure drive in 1997 that would have helped pay for a stadium at Candlestick Point. The voters approved it, but the stadium never got built. Now Charmin' Carmen will serve as San Francisco's go-between with the Niners and the National Football League. He will also help lead a referendum headed for the ballot next June to allow construction of a stadium at Hunters Point, along with a housing and retail development at neighboring Candlestick Point. "I consider it unfinished business," Policy said of the assignment. "I'm absolutely thrilled Carmen will be joining our team," Newsom said. "Carmen's track record speaks for itself."

Left tackle Jonas Jennings will be out of the 49ers' lineup indefinitely while dealing with a "private matter," coach Mike Nolan said Thursday. The oft-injured Jennings is healthy, but Nolan wouldn't disclose the reason for the seventh-year pro's absence, which could extend through the 49ers' bye next week -- though Nolan said Jennings will return to the team this season. "As always, our most important interest is in the well-being of our players," Nolan said.

The 49ers say that Dr. James Andrews has reviewed the MRI performed on Alex Smith's throwing shoulder and concurred with the team's initial diagnosis: the quarterback has a third-degree separation of the right shoulder. A timetable for his return to the field is unknown, but surgery does not appear necessary at this time. Andrews made no recommendations for treatment, and Smith will continue to wait for the swelling in his shoulder to subside before further evaluation. A source close to the quarterback told ESPN's Ed Werder that Smith would consult with Andrews for a second opinion amid concern his shoulder might have been seriously damaged enough to require surgery that would have potentially ended his season. The source said the quarterback would follow Andrews' recommendation.