Alex Smith suffered a head injury doctors don't believe was an actual concussion but it will change the way he plays the game.

Smith has habitually gone late into his slide throughout his career.

“Looking back, the late slide is not what you want to do," Smith said. “I just think it puts you in such a vulnerable position. I think you’d be better to maintain being a football player and playing. No protection there. You’re kind of going down and have your legs underneath you. It’s not a good position to be in. That’s what I want to avoid for sure.

“The slide is a tool to help protect yourself. I do look back and certainly think the first slide was late. Those are tough. I think those are bang-bang plays and I do think if anything it’s the one I’m kicking myself over. To put myself in that situation where you’re vulnerable, you’re not protected because I did slide late. I did feel like on the second one, and this is my opinion [because] these are fast plays and refs have a hard time, I felt like I did get down early enough to protect myself, to afford myself that protection."