Niners' GM Scot McCloughan effectively closed the door on Alex Smith's career in San Francisco before the start of the season, but he has backed off those comments as the quarterback position remains unsettled. When asked if Smith were willing to take a dramatic pay cut from his scheduled $9.625 million salary, McCloughan said the discussions would be "wide open, no doubt about it." J.T. O'Sullivan has been replaced by Shaun Hill. "He can't come back for the money he's at. We know that. It's just common sense. It's too bad that he hasn't been able to do it on the field, so we can say, 'Yes, he can,' or 'No, he can't.' It's taken some injuries to knock him out of his play time. The different systems he's been in have held him back, and held the offense back, from being as productive as they can be over a four-year span. I still believe Alex is going to be a good quarterback in this league. "It could be here, certainly."