Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith: Who should be the 49ers’ starter?

Colin Kaepernick was spectacular in his first-ever NFL start Monday night.

The San Francisco backup quarterback, playing while starter Alex Smith recovers from a concussion, threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns during the 49ers’ 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears on national television.

Coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about his quarterback situation after the game — and seconds later a quarterback controversy was born.

“I usually tend to go with the hot hand, and we’ve got two quarterbacks with hot hands,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll make that decision when we have to make it.”

Interesting. The 49ers were just a couple of bad breaks away from the Super Bowl last year with Smith as their quarterback. He threw for 17 touchdowns and just five interceptions with a passer rating of 90.7 in 2011 and has 13 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 104.1 rating this year.

But all that has happened after several lackluster years behind center in San Francisco. Smith is 38-36-1 in seven seasons as the 49ers’ quarterback.

Meanwhile, Kaepernick appears to have the makings of an NFL star. The 49ers’ second-round pick in 2011 had already teased fans with three rushing touchdowns in limited appearances this season before having the opportunity to show off his arm Monday night.

This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, so which quarterback do you think has the best shot at getting it there? Vote in the poll, then leave a comment explaining why you voted the way you did.

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