Per NFL.com:
Free agent quarterback Alex Smith has left the Miami Dolphins‘ complex after a 5½-hour meeting with the team.
The visit Sunday could affect the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, because Smith’s former team, the San Francisco 49ers, are among three finalists for the star quarterback, along with the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans.
The 49ers had been working to re-sign Smith, the No. 1 overall 2005 draft pick who had his best season in 2011 under first-year coach Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback.
The Dolphins’ unexpected courtship of Smith came after they were spurned by Manning. They then courted former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who instead agreed to terms Sunday with the Seattle Seahawks on a multiyear deal.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday the 49ers have offered Smith a three-year, $24 million contract that the quarterback is weighing.
Smith reportedly might sever ties with longtime agent Tom Condon, who also represents Manning.
“I never thought a year ago (Peyton) Manning would be a free agent, either,” Smith told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel upon arriving in Miami on Sunday morning. “I’m never surprised by anything.”
