NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

San Francisco 49ers: Impact of Anthony Davis retirement

By Brian Spaen

facebooktwitterreddit

The nightmare offseason for the San Francisco 49ers continues as offensive guard Anthony Davis is another player to announce his retirement, or more specifically is taking a break for a year or so. Why did Davis wait until June to make the decision to step away, and how will it impact the 49ers heading forward?

Davis made a statement on his decision to step away from the game, saying that he was going away “for a year or so.” He then put down some thoughts on following dreams and making smart choices. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report confirmed that concussions were what worried him.

As speculation continued to swirl shortly after Davis’ decision, he reiterated on Twitter that it wan’t a real retirement. Jed York seemed OK with the departure.

The worry doesn’t come right out of the blue. Davis missed four games beginning in mid-November last season and was reportedly worried over lingering symptoms of his concussion in early December. Here’s a quote from Davis in an article from Eric Branch of SFGate.

"“It’s scary when your brain’s not working like it’s supposed to and the culture of this league is, ‘You’re a big, tough guy,’ ” Davis said on Dec. 4. “… It’s like a white fog. You look out and it’s a white fog. Just having a simple conversation. You just feel slowed down.”"

Davis joins Chris Borland, Patrick Willis, and Justin Smith of 49ers that have “retired” this season. Whether he likes it or not, speculation will swirl over why he and so many 49ers have lost their love of the game. Smith would be the only unquestioned departure due to age.

More from San Francisco 49ers

It adds more fuel to the fire of frustration on how the wheels have come off so fast. It is only 17 months after San Francisco was fighting Seattle for a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Now, there is no rivalry with their Northwestern foe.

What’s more frustrating for everyone is the timing. Davis’ move comes after the 49ers let Mike Iupati sign with the Arizona Cardinals and after the draft. While there isn’t a schedule for one to receive enlightenment, it would have at least been in the franchise’s best interest for Davis to let them know he was pondering leaving.

If Davis was expecting to receive the same response that Borland and Willis got, he’s going to be disappointed. While they have left the game for good (at least that’s what they said), Davis expects to come back. Really? Does Davis just want to sit out the impending disaster of a season and then gauge how 2016 goes to make his comeback?

It’s a scary scenario for the NFL that needs to be proactive before it gets worse. If a player like Davis wants to leave and come back later, they can do so, but the contract isn’t honored. They need to enforce the termination of his contract. Remember that five-year extension he signed in 2013 that included a $7.5 million bonus? There’s still over $6.5 million left on that bonus, and Davis shouldn’t receive a penny of that.

That also brings up another question. Is the 49ers situation so bad that Davis has no problem potentially giving up that kind of cash? Either way, it makes the situation even worse. San Francisco no longer has Iupati or Davis on the offensive line, two key staples up front.

What next? Despite not being involved in the offseason workouts, David Fucillo of Niners Nation makes an educated guess that Alex Boone will shift in Davis’ position.

"The easiest option would be moving Alex Boone to right tackle. The team could also play Erik Pears there, but he seems better suited for guard at this point given his athletic limitations."

It’s just another situation to keep an eye on as the dreadful offseason churns on in the Bay Area.

Next: 49ers: Arik Armstead answers critics on effort

More from NFL Spin Zone