Former 49ers first-round pick Anthony Davis is trying to make his way back into the NFL for a third time. If he does return from his second retirement, it won’t be with San Francisco. The team released him Tuesday according to ESPN’s Field Yates, making the 29-year-old a free agent.
The NFL reinstated Davis on Tuesday per NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.
Davis was an integral piece of the 49ers offensive line when he played and started all 64 games for San Francisco between 2010 and 2013. He retired in 2015, then returned briefly in 2016 before retiring again.
He cited head injuries and his long-term health as the reasons for his departures, but he believes there’s more information available now to make the game safer.
The 49ers might’ve actually kicked the tires on Davis had he not been out of football for virtually four seasons. He played seven games in 2014 before a concussion sidelined him for the year. His only other return to the field came when he played seven snaps in Week 1 of the 2016 season.
Depth at tackle is a concern for San Francisco, but they’ve added enough players through the offseason that a 29-year-old who they can’t rely on to stay through the season isn’t a project they’re willing to take on.
Any team who signs Davis would be taking a pretty significant risk. On the other hand, the reward could be substantial. A fresh offensive tackle who once anchored the right side of a terrific offensive line would be very valuable to a team looking to bolster its offensive front. Davis will surely get some looks from NFL clubs once he’s reinstated, but a return to the 49ers can be ruled out.
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