A tale of two quarterbacks

SANTA CLARA — Golden boys Alex Smith and Matt Leinart were expected to become starters early in their NFL careers and stay in those posts for a long, long time.

The 49ers and Arizona Cardinals took their quarterbacks in the first rounds of the 2005 and ’06 drafts. But Smith and Leinart are no longer starters — let alone franchise saviors. They will be high-priced backups Sunday when the 49ers open the season Sunday against the Cardinals at Candlestick Park.

The 49ers and Cardinals determined the best lineups they could put on the field to open the season did not include either Smith or Leinart at quarterback. Journeyman J.T. O’Sullivan won the 49ers’ starting job over Smith and Shaun Hill, while veteran Kurt Warner was named the Cardinals’ starter last week.

“You are obviously cognizant of your quarterback situation from the standpoint of having a young one that you’re going to develop,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “This team, this organization hasn’t won enough games where we can patiently wait on any position. We want to win games now, and that is what everything is geared toward.”

Leinart, the 10th overall pick in 2006, is second on the depth chart behind a 37-year-old quarterback with a history of injuries, so he still has some time to prove his worth to the Cardinals. Smith, however, is clearly running out of time.

Niners general manager Scot McCloughan stated the obvious Wednesday: Unless Smith becomes a proven starter very soon, he will not be back with the 49ers in 2009.

Asked if Smith could return next season as a backup, McCloughan answered: “You can’t. You can’t. That something at any position — the amount of money we’re going to invest in him, it would have to be proven that he is the guy going into the offseason, that he is our guy for next year.”

Smith was guaranteed $24 million when he signed his rookie contract in July 2005. Most of that money is already off the 49ers’ books. Smith’s scheduled $9.625 million contract for next season is not guaranteed.

Therefore, the 49ers must determine that Smith is worth that lofty price tag before deciding to bring him back for another season.

The 49ers structured Smith’s contract in such a way that the salary-cap hit for next year would be manageable if they were forced to part ways with the No.1 overall pick in the 2005 draft. If he’s on the roster, he would count $12.3 million against the cap; if he were released, all that would count against the cap would be $5.3 million in prorated bonus money.

McCloughan maintains that he’s not disappointed that Smith lost the starting job. Asked about the investment the organization has already made in Smith, McCloughan said it does not matter.

“It’s not a money thing,” McCloughan said. “Three, four years from now — 10 years from now — we get measured on wins and losses. It’s not who the quarterback is or who the running back is.

“The money doesn’t come down to it. If it’s a mistake, it’s a mistake and that’s going to happen in the NFL, but you can’t be stubborn about it.”

McCloughan still has a high opinion of Smith despite his myriad struggles since entering the league. In fact, McCloughan said he was surprised that O’Sullivan won the starting job because he considers Smith a more-talented player.

“From a pure talent standpoint, I see something different,” McCloughan said. “But that doesn’t matter. You have to go out there with the guy that understands the system and knows how to work the system best."

Smith and Leinart sustained season-ending injuries last season, and both found themselves in competition for their starting jobs this summer. Naturally, O’Sullivan and Warner both had to clearly outperform Smith and Leinart to win their jobs.

“I had a realization that all things equal that the job would probably go to Matt,” Warner said. “So my whole objective from Day 1 was to not let it be equal — to show them that I can bring something special to the table, that I can still be one of the top quarterbacks in this league.

“I can do some special things on the football field and that’s how I knew that I had to separate myself from Matt.”

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.