Offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who shocked the San Francisco 49ers by suddenly retiring from the NFL last June, will apply for reinstatement and plans to play in 2016, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Former 49ers OT Anthony Davis, who abruptly retired last June, will apply for reinstatement and wants to play in 2016, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2016
The question is, do the 49ers want him back? The 49ers hold Davis’ rights for the 2016 season, and he would play under the 2015 terms of his deal, which had a base salary of $1.85 million. That’s a reasonable figure for a player of Davis’ caliber, but he’ll have some fences to mend if and when he returns.
Davis, who is still only 26, started every game in his first four seasons after being drafted in the first round out of Rutgers in 2010. But he had a difficult 2014 season, suffering a concussion as well as injuries to his shoulder, hamstring, knee and ankle, limiting him to only seven games.
In announcing his retirement so abruptly last June, he said he needed to let his “brain and body heal.” That is understandable, but he also left his team in the lurch. The 49ers were left scrambling to find a replacement at right tackle, eventually settling on 33-year-old Erik Pears, who did not play well as the 49ers gave up 53 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.
On top of that, Davis also showed that having idle time is not always the best thing for a young athlete, spouting off on social media with little filter on numerous occasions. That can be entertaining for fans and the media, but not always so much for his teammates.
After a loss to the Seahawks last November, Davis criticized Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley for what he called “soft” play. And when it was announced that the 49ers had met with Chip Kelly to discuss their vacant head coaching position, Davis posted a sad face on Twitter, a post that he later deleted.
When asked on Twitter if he could play for Kelly, Davis responded “I played for Greg Schiano and Jim Harbaugh, I can play for anyone.”
Davis did make it clear that he did not quit last season to avoid playing for Jim Tomsula, and you have to admit he makes a good point.
You are crazy as hell if you think I paid $2Million to avoid a coach. lol
— AD (@BamDavis_) January 21, 2016
As far as the question of whether Davis could ease back into the 49ers locker room without incident, the answer appears to be “yes.”
While San Francisco general manager Trent Baalke has declined to discuss the situation other than to say he’d spoken to Davis, Staley has spoken positively of his return, saying he would be welcomed back.
“Anthony is a terrific football player,” Staley said. “I haven’t kept in contact with him this whole season, but if he’s ready to play football and ready to come back, we’d welcome him back. He’s a terrific football player and he brings a lot to the team. And a lot to the table.”
As the 49ers’ captain and longest-tenured player, Staley acceptance would go a long way to making Davis’ return to the team go smoothly.
In the NFL, talent ultimately wins out, and Davis certainly has that. If Staley can forgive and forget, and if management can, too, then the rest of the team will follow suit.
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