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49ers sign CB Hicks, OL Renfrow
Monday, May 18, 2015
The 49ers saw enough potential over the weekend from two players who made recent position switches to sign them to contracts.
The 49ers on Monday signed rookie cornerback Mylan Hicks and first-year offensive lineman Justin Renfrow to contracts after both players took part in a tryout during the 49ers’ rookie minicamp in Santa Clara.
Hicks signed a three-year contract, while Renfrow’s deal is two years.
Hicks mostly played safety and outside linebacker at Michigan State. He had an outstanding pro day, running a 4.47 in the 40. Hicks (5-10 3/4, 190) missed four games last season after sustaining a broken arm against Nebraska in the fifth game of the season. He returning to action in Week 10 with a cast on his arm.
Baalke: Justin Smith ‘hard guy to read’
Thursday, May 14, 2015
General manager Trent Baalke believes he will have a better idea on defensive lineman Justin Smith’s status for the upcoming season on Friday.
Smith has not been taking part in the 49ers’ offseason program but he did visit the team’s headquarters on Thursday. Baalke said he was unable to meet with Smith due to a previous commitment.
Report: 49ers will practice with Broncos before preseason meeting
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The 49ers will have two practices with the Broncos before meeting Denver on Aug. 29 at Sports Authority Field in their third preseason game, 9News in Denver reported. The teams will practice Aug. 26-27 at the Broncos’ facility in Dove Valley.
49ers take measures to reduce rookie injury risks
Thursday, May 14, 2015
There are no guarantees the 49ers will avoid injuries during the rookie minicamp over the weekend, but the organization has taken measures to reduce the risks.
The 49ers are one of just six teams to hold off on staging their rookie minicamp until two weeks after the draft. Last week, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos experienced season-ending knee injuries to draft picks. Jacksonville pass-rusher Dante Fowler (No. 3 overall) and Denver tight end Jeff Heuerman (third-round pick) sustained torn ACLs during their first exposures to NFL practices.
Baalke: Kaepernick developing chemistry with Reggie Bush
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
General manager Trent Baalke said he has already detected a noticeable difference in the speed that has been added to the 49ers’ offense this offseason.
Baalke, speaking Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, was asked specifically about the additions of wide receiver Torrey Smith and running back Reggie Bush, but he did not stop there.
Baalke referenced nine players who have looked good on the practice field during the 49ers’ offseason program to supply quarterback Colin Kaepernick with a strong supporting cast.
Forget the Joe Montana, Tom Brady debate, says 49ers’ great Dwight Clark
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Clark says Brady obviously cheated, what else does anyone need to know?
Numbers game: 49ers rookies issued jerseys
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
On Tuesday, the 49ers handed out jersey numbers to their nine signed draft picks, and Michael Crabtree's No. 15 was issued to one player...
49ers, Justin Smith closing in on decision
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
he 49ers might learn this week whether Justin Smith will play with them next season. Smith, who has been contemplating retirement, will meet with 49ers officials Wednesday or Thursday, according to G.M. Trent Baalke said.
"We are going to talk," Baalke said Tuesday during an interview SiriusXM Radio. "Hope to have a better answer at that stage."
Nine draft picks sign their rookie deals, though Arik Armstead isn’t one of them
Monday, May 11, 2015
All of the 49ers' draft picks, other than first-round selection Arik Armstead, have signed their contracts heading into this weekend's rookie minicamp, the team announced.
Source: 49ers remain interested in Lance Briggs
Monday, May 11, 2015
Lance Briggs is still without a team, and the 49ers are still thin at inside linebacker. A source tells CSNBayArea.com there is interest.
49ers’ Aldon Smith ramping up ‘intensity,’ embracing new role
Saturday, May 9, 2015
In the midst of a organizational makeover, 49ers rush linebacker Aldon Smith finds himself as one of the team's more talented and seasoned veterans.
Smith, however, is in a contract year and has been thrown into a position where he'll have to help cover up the losses of Patrick Willis, Chris Borland and possibly defensive tackle Justin Smith, who is contemplating retirement.
“I’m just kicking it up in intensity in terms of learning things going into my fifth year," Smith told 49ers.com. "I’m just taking everything I’ve learned from my overall experience, adding it together and seeing where it goes.”
A Look Into The Future – Mobile NFL Games In 2050!
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
What is the future of mobile gaming going to look like? Everyone must have an idea on what it would be like in the next ten years or so. …
Nine Things To Do When Attending Super Bowl 50
Thursday, April 30, 2015
If Levi Stadium and the Super Bowl 50 are part of your 2016 travel plans, you should allow yourself a few extra days …
Tomsula’s 49ers coaching debut will come on Monday Night Football
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
After going 4-0 in season openers under Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers will debut under new coach Jim Tomsula on Sept. 14, when they host the Minnesota Vikings in Levi's Stadium's first-ever "Monday Night Football" game.
Tuesday's unveiling of the upcoming schedule outlined a daunting path for the 49ers, who play nine games against teams that reached last season's playoffs. The 49ers missed the postseason for the first time since 2010, finishing 8-8 and triggering a slew of departures, including Harbaugh's.
Super Bowl 50 organizers unveil plans for fan village in San Francisco
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
With the grace of a burlesque dancer, the Bay Area organizers of next year's Super Bowl 50 unveiled just a fleeting peek of the football fan village planned for San Francisco's waterfront, a free and frenetic extravaganza they're calling Super Bowl City.
Sprawled across Justin Herman Plaza and the Embarcadero's median between the Ferry Building and the Hyatt Regency Hotel, as well as extending a block up Market Street, the village is expected to draw more than a million visitors during its eight-day run leading up the Feb. 7 game.
Gruden backs Harbaugh: ‘I don’t know what Alex Boone is trying to do with this’
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Jon Gruden said he hasn’t heard Alex Boone’s quotes in context, but it’s safe to say the ESPN analyst is on Team Harbaugh. The former NFL coach expressed surprise Tuesday that Boone would question the a coach who amassed a 44-19-1 regular-season record over four seasons with the 49ers.
“I think Jim Harbaugh has proven he’s a very good coach at the NFL level. How are we going to dispute that?’’ Gruden said on an ESPN conference call to discuss the upcoming NFL Draft.
“I don’t know who the best guards are. … I don’t know what Alex Boone is trying to do with this. But if you ask me I think Harbaugh has proven he’s an outstanding NFL coach.”
Boone criticized Harbaugh’s hard-driving style and questioned his sanity during an HBO “Real Sports” feature that was scheduled to air Tuesday night. Boone said that Harbaugh was great at “giving you that spark, that initial boom.” But he added that Harbaugh pushed so hard that, “You’d be like, ‘This guy might be clinically insane.’’’
Gruden, who coached for 11 NFL seasons, including from 1998-2001 with the Raiders, was unmoved.
“Very few men in the history of the game get to three straight NFC championship games,’’ he said, referring to Harbaugh. “So I think that speaks for itself. But it will be fun to listen to the comments if you have time to do that.”
Hall of Famer Dick Butkus on Patrick Willis: ‘They’re going to have a hard time replacing him’
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
As he heads off into retirement, Patrick Willis got a tip of the helmet Tuesday from the man who set the standard for hard-hitting linebackers.
Hall of Famer Dick Butkus was a fan.
“He just made tackles all over the field, which is what linebackers are supposed to do,’’ the former Bears star said on conference call to discuss the NFL draft returning to Chicago for the first time since 1964. “And I think he had great character and was a great leader.”
Hall of Fame lineman Bob St. Clair passes away at age 84
Monday, April 20, 2015
Bob St. Clair, the legendary 49ers offensive lineman famed for his ferocious blocking and peculiar dining habits, died Monday. He was 84. A fearsome tackle in San Francisco from 1953-63, St. Clair paved the way for the likes of Joe Perry, Hugh McElhenny, John Henry Johnson and Y.A. Tittle. Like that famous foursome, the lineman was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- although he had to wait until 1990.
"I guess after a few years they looked and saw the 49ers had the 'Million Dollar Backfield' in the Hall of Fame," he once joked to 49ers.com. "And all of a sudden a light went off and they realize somebody had to be blocking for them all those years."
The San Francisco native made the Pro Bowl five times and was a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1950s. His No. 79 jersey is one of the 12 numbers retired by the 49ers.
At 6-foot-9, 263 pounds, St. Clair is the tallest player enshrined in Canton. And if his size wasn't intimidating enough, St. Clair rattled some opponents with his menu choices: He ordered his steaks raw.
St. Clair once said he developed his taste for uncooked meat as early as 5 years old when his grandmother, a Yaqui Indian from Mexico, would toss him scraps while she was chopping up meat in preparation for dinner. "She'd throw pieces to me and the dog, and we would fight over it," he said in 2010.
St. Clair's unusual meals prompted 49ers teammate Bruno Banducci to start calling him "The Geek." That was a nod to the Tyrone Powers movie "Nightmare Alley" in which the hero was locked in a cage at the circus.
"They used to throw live chickens in there, and that's where it came from," St. Clair told the Hall of Fame. "However, I only let my friends call me that!"
This Geek, though, was no sideshow. He was a dominating blocker with power and strength. St. Clair was the 49ers team captain from 1957-59 and was named first or second-team All-NFL nine times.
Born Feb. 18, 1931, St. Clair attended Polytechnic High School right across the street from Kezar Stadium, the 49ers' first home. He was undersized in his early years. He was 5-9, 160 pounds at age 15, as he recalled during his Hall of Fame induction speech.
"I got the best advice from my football coach. He told me 'My advice to you is go home and grow a little,' " St. Clair recalled. "Damn it! I did exactly what he said. I grew 6 inches in one year and put on 60 pounds."
He started his college career at USF. But after the 1951 season -- when the Dons went undefeated but unanimously rejected an Orange Bowl invitation because USF's two black players were prohibited from playing -- the football program was abandoned for a lack of funding. St. Clair transferred to the University of Tulsa, where he was an all-conference selection.
The 49ers took him with their third-round draft pick in 1953. With his size, speed and intelligence, St. Clair thrived immediately as both a run and pass blocker. He excelled on special teams, too, blocking 10 field goals in 1956.
A diplomat off the field, St. Clair dabbled in politics even during his playing days. He served as the mayor of Daly City from 1961-62.
St. Clair never forgot his roots. On the day he was elected to the Hall of Fame, he recalled being a 9-year-old flag bearer during an East-West game at Kezar.
"I can remember looking up and seeing these giant football players and saying to myself, 'Oh boy, someday would I love to be able to play football and be like these giant athletes,' " he said.
Over the course of his high school, college and NFL career, he totaled 188 games at Kezar Stadium. The city of San Francisco later renamed the playing surface there Bob St. Clair Field.
Culliver’s counterpoint: Former 49ers CB defends Harbaugh
Monday, April 20, 2015
This morning, Culliver defended Harbaugh, via Instagram, after 49ers right guard Alex Boone told HBO’s Real Sports that Harbaugh’s never-let-up style wore on the locker room. In response, Culliver posted a picture of a headline from a story detailing Boone’s criticism and chastised his former teammate, who had passionately defended Harbaugh during the 2014 season. Wrote Culliver: “Funny how ppl talk about u when You not around but quite in ya face!! 3/4 years went to NFCchampionship/Super Bowl, that’s what we play for!! #ThatswhatHebrung #HEISAGOODCOACH #RESPECTHIM.”
Trailing Tigers: 49ers have strong interest in LSU’s Alexander, Magee
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
In 2013, the 49ers traded up in the first round to select LSU safety Eric Reid. Last year, they explored trading up for LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round. This year? They have, again, been trailing some Tigers. The 49ers have had strong pre-draft interest in LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander and
49ers’ Baalke can’t take another pass on top WR prospects
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
In his five previous drafts as the man in charge with the 49ers, Trent Baalke has typically found players with first round picks that have stepped in and played significant roles in their rookie seasons.
After all, the 49ers have landed Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati, Aldon Smith, Eric Reid and last year's starting nickel back Jimmie Ward. So they've enjoyed a good percentage of hits with their first round picks under Baalke.
“Minus one,” Baalke pointed out last month. “You’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself in this business, don’t you?”
49ers back in same spot as when Crabtree arrived in 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Michael Crabtree did not exactly get off on the right foot with the 49ers as the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft.
He appeared destined to go to the Raiders at pick No. 7. But the late Al Davis always had an affinity for speed. Crabtree, who was never known as a speedster, never ran a 40-yard dash before the draft due to a foot fracture.
Darrius Heyward-Bey ended up with the Raiders. Three picks later, the 49ers selected Crabtree, a player then-general manager Scot McCloughan thought might end up being the best player in the draft.
The two major knocks on Crabtree as he entered the NFL were his speed and his attitude. Reports surfaced that multiple teams that visited with him prior to the draft described him as a “diva.”
Boldin to Kaepernick: ‘Go back to being yourself’
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Colin Kaepernick spent 10 weeks of his offseason working on refining his mechanics and honing his understanding of the game with, among others, two-time MVP quarterback Kurt Warner.
But wide receiver Anquan Boldin said his own advice to the 49ers’ quarterback: Don’t listen to what others tell him.
“To be honest with you I think he just has to block out everything else around him, stop listening to what people want, what people have to say about you, stop listening to what people want to see you do and just be yourself,” Boldin said Wednesday on The SiriusXM Blitz.
Bush believes rugby league star will win job with 49ers
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Reggie Bush and former Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne might be competing at the same position for the 49ers, but he has no doubt Hayne will win a job.
Bush, in his first interview since signing last month with the 49ers, told The Daily Telegraph of Sydney he expects Hayne to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster after making the transition to American football as a running back.
"I’m sure he’ll make it, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind he’ll make the roster," Bush said. "He has all the talents and athleticism to be able to play in this league and to be able to play at a high level in this league.
"I think making the team is actually the least of his worries."
49ers draft party moves to Great America on April 30
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
The 49ers roller coaster, er, draft party will be held next door to Levi’s Stadium at California’s Great America.
The April 30 party in the Red Zone Rally runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., as the first round unfolds. Up to 7,500 fans can watch the NFL Network’s draft broadcast inside the amusement park’s Redwood Amphitheater.
The free event is open to all ages and some rides will be complimentary, including the Flight Deck roller coaster and bumper cars.
49ers not likely to wait long for wide receiver this year
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
A year ago, the 49ers investigated the possibility of moving up from late in the first round of the draft to select Odell Beckham.
Once they deemed the price was too steep, the 49ers decided to wait until the fourth round to select a wide receiver. That’s when the 49ers grabbed Bruce Ellington with the No. 106 pick in the draft.
Marqise Lee, Jordan Matthews, Paul Richardson, Davante Adams and Cody Latimer were all chosen after the 49ers’ first-round pick of defensive back Jimmie Ward and before the team made its second pick – going with running back Carlos Hyde.
DT Tony Jerod-Eddie signs one-year tender with 49ers
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The 49ers announced Tuesday they signed defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie to a one-year exclusive rights tender.
The former undrafted free agent has appeared in 32 games, making four starts, in his three years with San Francisco and played in all 16 games last year for the 49ers. He was a starter for the final two games after the 49ers released Ray McDonald.
There are still some question marks on the 49ers defensive line. McDonald signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason following his release and Justin Smith has not announced whether or not he’ll retire, although he’s continued to stay in shape working out at San Jose State.
Tuesday marked the start of the 49ers offseason workout program where players are allowed to work out with strength and conditioning coaches at the 49ers facility but coaches can’t be involved yet.
49ers sign linebacker Desmond Bishop
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
The San Francisco 49ers sign former Cal linebacker Desmond Bishop to a one-year contract.
Report: 49ers to meet with WR Hakeem Nicks
Monday, March 30, 2015
Chase Thomas added to 49ers’ list of ACL patients
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Stanford product Chase Thomas is now part of a concerning group on the 49ers: players recovering from torn anterior cruciate ligaments.
Thomas, who was twice promoted from the practice squad last season, tore the ACL in his right knee in offseason workouts, he told the Sacramento Bee on Thursday.
Also recovering from ACL tears are linebacker NaVorro Bowman, defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, running back Kendall Hunter, cornerback Keith Reaser, fullback Trey Millard, wide receiver Chuck Jacobs and guards Brandon Thomas and Fou Fonoti. All missed last season after tearing their ACLs.
Thomas started last season on the practice squad, was promoted for three wins in November, and released on Nov. 27. He promptly re-joined the practice squad and came up for the final two games. He recorded no tackles.
The 49ers voluntary offseason program begins April 6, and the first two weeks are limited to strength and conditioning, as well as rehabilitation.
The 49ers linebacker group has seen three players leave this offseason: Patrick Willis and Chris Borland in retirement, and Dan Skuta to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Outside linebackers who are healthy on their roster are Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and Corey Lemonier.
Borland: 49ers ‘didn’t deserve to be undercut’
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Linebacker Chris Borland said Thursday morning he wanted to alert the 49ers of his decision to end his NFL career after one season before the end of free agency.
Borland, 24, who this week announced he would stop playing football due to concerns about the long-term effects of brain trauma, appeared live on CBS This Morning to talk about his decision.
“The 49ers drafted me, assuming I wanted to play more than one year,” Borland said. “At the time, I did, too. Things changed. They didn’t deserve to be undercut. And I didn’t want that to happen. But, ultimately, my individual health was important, so after the season I tried to talk to as many people as possible. At the same time, I wanted to let them know before the end of free agency, certainly before the draft so they could make the arrangements for finding my replacement.”
The free-agent signing period opened March 10. Three days later, Borland spoke with general manager Trent Baalke about his decision.
Jed York: ‘I don’t ever want somebody to go out there and do something they’re not comfortable doing’
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Jed York said he respects Chris Borland's decision to retire, which the 49ers CEO confirmed was a surprise to the organization.
"We respect it, and I love Chris. He's a great kid," York told Blomberg Television's Cory Johnson on Tuesday. "And it's certainly a surprise to us and I think to some of his teammates.
"But you have to respect the decision. If he fears for his health and safety going forward, I don't ever want somebody to go out there and do something that they're not comfortable doing. And I would never try to talk somebody out of retirement. I know it wasn't an easy decision for him, but we respect him and we wish him the best.
York last spoke with local media during Patrick Willis' retirement a week ago, though York did not field questions, like he did upon appointing Jim Tomsula as head coach in January.
"We're trying to win a Super Bowl. We haven't been able to do that," York said of a 20-year drought. "And I think what we're trying to do is build a team that focuses on our core strengths. I think we got away from that a little bit. I think we tried to do too much and be something that we weren't.
"I think you're gonna see us get back to the basics, get back to letting our players go out and make plays….You look at our offense last year. It wasn't I think where it should have been. I think we have better talent than what our results showed."
The 49ers have lost eight key players in the past week: Borland, Willis, running back Frank Gore (Colts), guard Mike Iupati (Cardinals), linebacker Dan Skuta (Jaguars), wide receiver Stevie Johnson (Chargers) and cornerbacks Chris Culliver (Washington) and Perrish Cox (Titans). Several free agents remain on the market, including wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Defensive tackle Justin Smith is still pondering retirement. York: "We obviously would love to have Justin back, but he has got to be comfortable going out there and putting his body through it one more year. And if he is not, we are going to have to step up and have somebody else make plays."
Chris Borland recalls collision that had him rethink NFL career
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Chris Borland is the first to acknowledge that collisions between a linebacker and fullback happen "a lot." But a particular one, in his first 49ers training camp, sent him down this path to a surprise retirement.
Borland, in a follow-up interview with ESPN on Tuesday, reconsidered his career choice following a collision with a fullback, presumably Bruce Miller.
"I’d been relatively healthy for the nine years I played football to that point," Borland recalled. "But it was the realization I just started my professional career and am I going to go down this road? Am I going to commit the prime of my life to something that ultimately could be detrimental to my health.
"That just triggered my thinking and changed the way I viewed the risks."
Although Borland apparently sustained a concussion, he played in every exhibition and every regular-season game until a Dec. 14 ankle injury sidelined him for the final two games, and ultimately his career.
General manager Trent Baalke said in a statement Monday that Borland's retirement was "unexpected."
What exactly was the play that triggered Borland to research the brain-trauma concerns of playing football?
"It was a lead play," Borland said. "We had a physical fullback, a great football player. I think I led with the crown of my helmet underneath him a little bit and got my bell rung.
"I wasn’t nauseous, didn’t pass out. It was mild. But it just, ‘What’s the point, when you’re going to have to endure that over and over again over a long period of time."
Borland emphasized that because this happened at the start of his NFL career, it made him consider how the ending might unfold.
"That’s a risk you get playing football. You’re going to get hit in the head. I understood that," Borland recalled of his Wisconsin days. "I was just starting out in the NFL and it dawned on me that this is going to happen again and again, and I just want to know what the consequences are.
"There’s no end of eligibility in the NFL. You have to either leave on your own terms or play until you can’t anymore, which is what a lot of guys do. I took it upon myself to research more and make a decision myself."
Borland then read ghost stories, if you will, about players who struggled with brain trauma following their careers. "I read ‘League of Denial,’ and got in touch with researchers I found from that book," said Borland, who broke his retirement story with that book's authors, ESPN's Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru.
Borland said he isn't looking to sway others' opinions, but rather to encourage others to examine the risks of playing, which to him exceeded any financial compensation.
Borland, in conclusion, said: "I’ve lived the right way. I’ve been healthy. I’ve never used performance enhancers. I don’t abuse alcohol or drugs. Maybe I would be fine.
"Maybe I’m wrong and can play 10 years and can be completely healthy. However, I just don’t think it’s wise for me."
Color analyst Tim Ryan tells KNBR: ‘Patrick Willis retired. Chris Borland quit’
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Tim Ryan, the color analyst on 49ers radio broadcasts, didn't see Chris Borland's retirement coming, and he refused to use call it such.
"This isn’t punitive on Borland," Ryan said on KNBR 680-AM. "And I love the guy and I want to see him play. Patrick Willis retired. Chris Borland quit."
Ryan didn't condemn Borland's decision as much as he tried to make sense of it. A week after Willis surprisingly retired after an eight-season career, Borland followed his lead and stepped away after last year's rookie season.
Here is a transcript of what Ryan said in his interview with show co-hosts Brian Murphy and Paulie McCaffrey.
"I’m pissed off. No, you know what. Big props to Chris. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. The selfish side of me is pissed the 49ers are losing another quality player. Let’s all remember it’s about players,not plays. Chris was and still is fantastic. The other selfish part of me was inspired watching him play. He was fun to watch.
"At the end of the day, I come to the simple conclusion that fits in a lot of cases and not just with Borland: football is not for everyone, man.
"The risk, in a lot of people’s minds, despite a promising career ahead of you, the risk isn’t worth the reward for some guys. You may call that superior intelligence, because I never would have made that decision. That cat probably has a little more upstairs than I do. I played college, Pop Warner, 5 in the NFL, 64 boxing matches, I know I’ve got some legions on my noodle.
"That’s what is so shocking with Chris. You look at all the GMs and they go to the combines and do all the interviews. Usually when a player leaves the game with a very promising career in front of them, there are warning signs in their behavior and you kind of see it coming. That’s why you see the GMs go to the draft and ask all the questions. You always hear the famous quote: ‘This guy loves football. Football is important to him.’ With Borland, all of those things were right in your face, that he was all of that. That’s what makes this confusing – the guy was all ball, all the time.
"All the information, we didn’t have it when I played. You knew a concussion was bad for you but we didn’t know what a concussion was. You walked it off, how many fingers, walk it off, get up and you just gutted it out. But there’s been a lot of info throughout Chris’ career, before he played big-time football at Wisconsin. Why now? That’ to me it’s a little bit confusing. But I also realize the jump from the college game to the pro game, and the velocity and the intensity and the hazards, it’s night and day. More power to him. He’s a smart guy. I just hope he has no regrets. In this league, there’s a lot more money in football than out of football for a lot of guys.
"We’re a victim of our own success. This league is unbelievably hard to play in, not just from a physical standpoint. From an emotional standpoint. From a mental standpoint. Making your body do things that you absolutely 100 percent don’t want to do every day, with a fear factor involved. That’s why you’re seeing guys walk away early. They do have money in the bank and opportunities outside of football. The bigger the revenue has grown, it’s really softened the edge. Some guys played 10 or 12 years because they didn’t have anything else.
"This isn’t punitive on Borland. And I love the guy and I want to see him play. Patrick Willis retired. Chris Borland quit.
"The league is continuing to be changed and manipulated from a safety standpoint. The league doesn’t look like the league I played in. The league in 20 years isn’t going to look like it does now.
"For every guy that decides to retire or quit or hangup, there’s 100 guys willing to come over the mountain to come over the line to take the risk. College football has some pretty good talented guys in it, just look at the draft prospects this year.
"Parents holding their children out of football, a very small percentage is going to play pro football. But in terms of guys walking away early, I don’t think without question this is a trend that’s going to continue. It goes right back to the commitment level and sacrifice level. That fire in your belly that really takes to get up and play to the highest level. If you don’t play to the highest level of your ability, you’re going to get your butt run over. So you have to have that commitment level. That commitment level, it’s easier to pull back from a psychological level when you have $10-15-20-30 million in the bank. With the dynamic in this league and the revenue stream, the freaking cap is at $143 million. With where this money is and if it guaranteed money continues to grow exponentially, you’ll see guys going one contract and out. That’s good and bad. Guys will preserve themselves but football will have some repercussions. There are going to be a lot of guys that are unwilling, because of their comfort level in life and because of other opportunities and desires in life, and there’s so much more to do than when I was playing, I don’t know, because of the popularity of the game, unless you have that Frank Gore –fire burning all the time, you’re going to go out on your shield. I think a lot less guys here in the next decade are not going to be going out on their shield. They’re going to be going out on their shield while still holding their sword like Borland did.
On the 49ers: "They’re going to have to replenish talent. There’s not a lot of great linebackers left out there in free agency at a bargain rate. The draft has some good linebackers out there. Some guys proved they could play at points last year. Now, to me, NaVorro without question is going to have to be 100 percent, and keep your fingers crossed he can stay that way and continue to be the player he’s been. Love the Torrey Smith move. I think Reggie Bush is a good move with the threat he brings to an offense. Now Colin’s accuracy on getting the ball to him with touch passes is going to be interesting. At the end of the day Colin is going to have to play better."
Jerry Rice’s message to Chris Borland: ‘I commend you’
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
"Chris Borland I commend you on your decision . When I played we didn't have all the research! I think the game is so much safer now," Rice tweeted.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety policy, issued a statement Tuesday morning that supports Rice's assertion that the game is safer now than when he played.
Exclusive: Chris Borland’s father on retirement: ‘We kept it to ourselves’
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Chris Borland’s family knew throughout his rookie season with the 49ers that it was likely going to be his last.
It was a secret Borland revealed himself Monday, ending a promising career with a team in need of his tackling talents and keen instincts, especially in the wake of linebacker Patrick Willis’ own surprising retirement last week.
“We kept it to ourselves. It wasn’t a farewell tour,” Jeff Borland, Chris’ father, said by phone Tuesday from Dayton, Ohio. “It was, ‘Let’s go see what we can do and see if we can do it at this level.
“The 49ers gave him a chance. An injury gave him an opportunity, and he got to prove to himself, if not others, he’s not too short, not too slow and whether his arms are not long enough.”
His body, however, became too precious to put through the NFL rigors, and after doing extensive research about brain-trauma dangers, Chris Borland stuck to his preseason plan and has opted to retire at age 24.
“He passed a note to his mom and I after the last preseason game, thinking this would be his last year,” Jeff Borland recalled. “At the same time, and this is very important, he also expressed he planned to go all out and not hold back whatsoever. He set the loftiest of goals, and he maybe came within an ankle injury of achieving them.”
Upon replacing Willis midway through an Oct. 13 win at St. Louis, Borland burst onto the scene with double-digit tackles in every game, until his final one, in which he sustained a season-ending ankle injury just before halftime of a Dec. 14 loss at Seattle.
“For the team and organization and the sport and his teammates, he gave it everything he had,” Jeff Borland said. “He didn’t hold back. When the season was over, he revisited this thought and didn’t see any reason to change his decision.”
General manager Trent Baalke said in a statement Monday night that Borland’s retirement was “unexpected” but that the 49ers “respect” his decision. “We will always consider him a 49er and wish him all the best,” Baalke concluded.
Borland, a third-round draft pick out of Wisconsin, brought his story to ESPN and it was relayed Monday.
"From what I've researched and what I've experienced, I don't think it's worth the risk,” Chris Borland told ESPN. “… I feel largely the same, as sharp as I've ever been. For me, it's wanting to be proactive. I'm concerned that if you wait 'til you have symptoms, it's too late.”
He’s expanding on his thought process Tuesday in a follow-up interview with the network from the Bay Area. No press conference is scheduled, the 49ers stated.
Borland finished with a team-leading 128 tackles, including 22- and 21-tackle efforts in his second and third starts, against the Rams and New Orleans Saints. In his first career start, Borland had 15 tackles and his only career sack, which came against the Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning, who slipped on the play and then set the NFL all-time record for touchdown passes on the ensuing snap.
Watching from Denver’s stands that game were Borland’s family. “We all suggested he became trivia question, that he became the last guy to sack Peyton Manning before he became the all-time touchdown leader, and all (Chris) had to do was walk in and tag him.”
Borland’s family, including five brothers and a sister, is firmly supporting his retirement.
“From a parent’s perspective, the first thing that happens is you’re relieved,” Jeff Borland said. “He doesn’t have to take physical punishment that goes along with the game.
“The second thing is you recognize the kind of decision that’s being made, and you’re proud of him for being able to make that decision. We 100 percent supported it.”
Although 49ers co-owner John York chairs the NFL owners’ committee on health and safety, Borland did not consult with him on brain-trauma concerns, Jeff Borland said. (Offensive tackle Anthony Davis did speak with York last season while experiencing post-concussion symptoms that kept him out four games; Davis returned to play the final two games).
“He didn’t because within his contacts he was able to get directly in touch with the doctors doing the research,” Jeff Borland said. “He went right to the horse’s mouth.”
Chris Borland told ESPN in Monday’s piece that he believes he sustained a concussion during training camp, though he noted the only two diagnosed concussions he had were in eighth-grade soccer and sophomore football in high school.
Up next for Borland, aside from possible continuing his education?
“Well, he’s looking for work,” said Jeff Borland, who runs a financial consulting firm in Dayton. “He’s got to get on with life.”
The NFL, meanwhile, forges on without Borland.
“Anyone worried about the future of football should see the amount of calls & emails we get from kids literally begging to get into pro days,” tweeted Eliot Wolf, the Green Bay Packers director of player personnel.
Chris Borland’s retirment more about the league than the 49ers
Monday, March 16, 2015
Some may be tempted to equate the sudden retirement of linebacker Chris Borland to another brick falling from a crumbling franchise. However, Borland’s retirement has far more to do with the NFL than the 49ers. In fact, Borland told ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” that it had nothing to do with the 49ers.
“It’s an incredible organization,” Borland said, “And they truly look out for the players’ best interests.”
Borland was instead swayed by the research on concussions and the possibility of contracting chronic, traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. The disorder has now been diagnosed in 70 deceased football players, and it causes depression, erratic behavior, anxiety, apathy, loss of cognitive function, and aggression.
Report: Sterling Moore scheduled to visit 49ers
Monday, March 16, 2015
Cornerback Sterling Moore, who did not receive a qualifying offer last week from the Dallas Cowboys as a restricted free agent, is reportedly scheduled to visit the 49ers on Wednesday.
Moore is reportedly traveling to meet with Pittsburgh Steelers coaches and officials on Tuesday. He is scheduled to make the trip to Santa Clara to visit the 49ers on Wednesday, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson.
Baalke: Harbaugh pushed for Kaepernick, but QB ‘our guy’
Monday, March 16, 2015
The word out of Arizona is that quarterback Colin Kaepernick is making good progress during his 11-week program during this time of the offseason when the 49ers' coaches are prohibited from working with their players.
Next month when the offseason program begins, the 49ers will see just how much of a difference Kaepernick’s work with independent quarterback coaches, including Kurt Warner, has made on his mechanics and mental part of the game.
And 49ers general manager Trent Baalke promised there is no chance that Kaepernick will be playing for a team other than the 49ers this season. Baalke twice last week refuted a report from a Houston radio station that Kaepernick was on the trade block.
49ers bring CB Cook back on one-year deal
Saturday, March 14, 2015
The 49ers today announced they have re-signed cornerback Chris Cook to a one-year deal.
Cook (6 foot 2, 212 pounds) was originally selected in the second round (34th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The five-year veteran has appeared in 40 games (29 starts), registering 124 tackles, 34 passes defensed and one sack.
Cook originally signed with the 49ers on March 14, 2014. He appeared in six games and registered three tackles, one pass defensed and two tackles on special teams, last season. Cook was placed on the Injured Reserve List on October 25, 2014.
49ers reach agreements with Bush and Pears
Saturday, March 14, 2015
It has been reported by a number of sources that the 49ers have reached agreement with running back Reggie Bush. In addition, the team has agreed to terms with OL Erik Pears…
Reports: 49ers acquire RB Reggie Bush, OL Erik Pears
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Running back Reggie Bush and offensive lineman Erik Pears are reportedly brining their veteran experience to the 49ers offense.
Bush, a nine-year veteran out of USC, agreed to terms after visiting the 49ers and New England Patriots in recent days, ESPN reported Saturday.
Pears, who could compete as a starting guard or backup tackle, agreed to a two-year deal, according to Mike Jurecki of Fox 910-AM in Phoenix.
Neither the 49ers nor those players' agents immediately confirmed the transactions.
Bush figures to complement Carlos Hyde and Kendall Hunter in a 49ers backfield that will be without Frank Gore for the first time since 2004. Gore, the 49ers’ all-time leading rusher, signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday.
After visiting with Bush on Thursday, general manager Trent Baalke called him a, “great guy, great guy. We had a very good conversation.”
Bush, 30, rushed for only 297 yards but had 253 receiving yards last season for the Detroit Lions while hindered by an ankle injury. He’s coming off two-year stints with both the Lions and Miami Dolphins after playing his first five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him second overall out of USC.
Baalke envisions a running back-by-committee approach, assuming Hyde is unable to be an every-down workhorse like Gore was.
“It’s tough to run 20, 30 carries a game in the NFL. My hat’s off to the guys able to do that consistently week in week out through 16 games taking the type of pounding they take,” Baalke said Wednesday. “What you try to do is spread the wealth and get through the season with your guys as healthy as you can, so when you get into that final stretch and knock on wood you’re making that run into the playoffs, you’ve got guys that are fit and able to play that 17th, 18th, 19th game, because it’s tough.”
Pears (6-foot-8, 316 pounds) helps bolster an offensive line that lost three-time Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati in free agency to the Arizona Cardinals. Other options at guard for the 49ers are Brandon Thomas, Joe Looney, Marcus Martin or Daniel Kilgore.
With left tackle Joe Staley and right tackle Anthony Davis entrenched at their positions, Pears could serve as the backup swing tackle, a role that Jonathan Martin was pressed into repeatedly last season.
Pears, 32, played the past five seasons with the Bills, following brief stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2010) and Raiders (2009). He entered the league in 2005 with the Denver Broncos and played in NFL Europe, which is where first-year 49ers coach Jim Tomsula also coached a decade ago.