KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Quarterback Alex Smith has not tried to hide from the obvious story of week five on the NFL schedule. Smith hasn’t refused to talk about his homecoming game on Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs travel to the San Francisco Bay Area to face the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

But the Chiefs’ starting quarterback has not been expansive on sharing his thoughts on playing against the team that selected him as the league’s No. 1 draft choice in 2005.

Smith grew up and learned the ropes of playing in the NFL with the 49ers. He struggled at times, played poorly in other chances and then after his most successful performances (2011-12), Smith’s starting job was taken away. He ultimately asked for a trade and was dealt in February 2013 to Kansas City.

“Yeah, this next game, I’ll embrace being back there and accept it,” Smith said. “Certainly we’re not in denial about it. You know what it is and you take it on. In the end, you know it’s going to come down to the final minutes of football.”

That’s about as deep as Smith is willing to go when talking about playing against San Francisco.

Q: Alex, your turnaround season with the Niners was in 2011, Coach (Jim) Harbaugh’s first year there. How much of that improvement was you and how much Harbaugh and the offense he brought in?”

Smith: “This is the ultimate team game. You can’t have coaches without players. You can’t have players without coaches. We are all in this together, and it’s everywhere that you go. It’s a … it’s a … tough question to answer.”

An obvious translation would be Smith not wanting to go there, largely because his short time with Harbaugh as the Niners coach were the highest and lowest moments of his NFL career. But there are two facts beyond interpretation in this story of quarterback and his old team:

— 1. Smith’s best seasons as the Niners starting quarterback came in 2011-12 with Harbaugh as coach when Smith threw 30 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, averaged 7.4 yards an attempt and completed 64 percent of his passes. San Francisco was 20-6-1 in his starts over those two seasons.

— 2. It was Harbaugh who made the decision that Smith was not returning to the starting lineup in 2012 after he suffered a concussion at midseason. That’s when San Francisco went with Colin Kaepernick and the team rolled all the way to the Super Bowl before losing to Baltimore.

It was another chapter in Smith’s roller-coaster time with the 49ers, from the NFL’s first draft choice in 2005, to dealing with a litany of injuries and poor production in the first six seasons.

Then he became the player San Francisco thought it was getting seven years after being drafted, was allowed only 27 starts and he ended up watching the Super Bowl on the sideline wearing a baseball cap instead of wearing a helmet and being in the huddle.

The Chiefs gave up two second-round selections in the NFL Draft in 2013-14, and it’s not a deal they’ve regretted at any point. In Smith’s 22 starts with coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are 14-8.

“I have full trust in Alex running and commanding this football team during the game,” Reid said. “He does nothing but make plays out there for us and get people in the right positions. His leadership is the thing that stands out most to me, the way he handles the whole team. He can turn chaotic situations into calm situations, which you need when you’re out there. It’s great to have him here.”

Smith has indicated he’s glad to be in Kansas City. And now that he has signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Chiefs, he knows he will not have to worry about anyone taking his starting job and he’s not looking for any plays off. Despite the Chiefs’ big lead on Monday night against New England, Smith took every offensive snap.

NOTES: After serving his four-game NFL suspension, OT Donald Stephenson was back in the Chiefs’ locker room on Wednesday and took part in the club’s afternoon practice. … WR Donnie Avery suffered a strained abductor muscle (groin) in Monday night’s game against New England and did not practice Wednesday. … SS Eric Berry (high ankle) missed another on-field practice with the Chiefs on Wednesday afternoon and is unlikely to play Sunday. … RB/WR De’Anthony Thomas (hamstring) was back on the practice field Wednesday and might play Sunday.