Jim Harbaugh has placed Alex Smith in a difficult position, making him the San Francisco 49ers' backup quarterback upon return from a concussion.

Harabaugh's former NFL teammates don't believe he would have handled it as gracefully as Alex Smith.

"..The Jim Harbaugh who I knew, who was feisty and competitive, he wouldn't have handled it well," said Ray Buchanan. "I don't think he'd have handled it as well as Alex did. He'd have been a lot more outspoken with the coach. He would cause a little more havoc. And he probably would have spoken out to the media as well."

"The Jim Harbaugh I knew would be going crazy," Tony Siragusa said. "He would not stand for that. He would be going ballistic. But Jim Harbaugh the player and Jim Harbaugh the coach are like two completely different people."