Smith said that everyone in the locker room loved Jim Harbaugh, but his departure did not factor into his decision. He has all the faith in the world in head coach Jim Tomsula and the decision to retire was based solely on his recent physical inabilities.
He said that he has been trying to stay close to the 49ers organization, visiting with the team and even checking out the rookie minicamp. He even stated that he may want to 'dip my toe into coaching' in a couple of years.
Smith also mentioned that the 49ers knew that he was leaning toward retirement, which likely didn't take them by surprise. Having known for some time, it very likely that the team had been preparing for his departure all offseason.
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