Retired 49ers offensive lineman Anthony Davis is applying for reinstatement into the NFL according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s the second time Davis has tried to re-enter the NFL following retirement.
He said in his letter to Roger Goodell, which was obtained by PFT, that he wants to return to football after learning about a decrease in concussions in the NFL.
“On January 24, 2019, I read articles by 3 different sources pertaining to there being a significant decrease in concussions in the NFL, down by 29 percent in the 2018 season,” Davis wrote, per Florio. “Excited to see that the changes you and your staff have made to the rules, and the allowance of safer equipment to be worn has had a positive effect, I confided with my family and on January 28, 2019 I made the decision that I’d love to play in the NFL again.”
Davis was the No. 11 overall pick of the 49ers out of Rutgers in the 2010 draft. San Francisco would still hold his rights if he is allowed to re-enter the league. He helped form a dominant right side of a very good 49ers offensive line that helped contribute to three consecutive trips to the NFC championship game and a Super Bowl berth.
It’s hard to imagine Davis would be able to step in and contribute to an NFL offensive line right away. He initially retired in 2015 after suffering a concussion in 2014 that limited him to just seven games. He made a brief return a year later before retiring again.
The 49ers probably wouldn’t be inclined to keep the left tackle since he hasn’t played a down since the 2016 season when he played 3 offensive snaps in Week 1, and he hasn’t played significant time since 2014 – Jim Harbaugh’s last season in San Francisco.
It’s not out of the question that a peak version of Davis would help the 49ers’ offensive front with its depth issues. A player stepping right in after what amounts to three years off and making an impact is much more difficult to imagine.
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