San Francisco 49ers: Justin Smith Thinking About Return To NFL?

San Francisco 49ers stalwart defensive lineman Justin Smith is toying with the idea of a return to the NFL after a one year retirement – with somebody other than the 49ers.

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Justin Smith, the man they called the Cowboy and former San Francisco 49ers standout defensive end said he didn’t have anything left to give when he retired from the team after the 2014 season. Smith’s retirement was actually just one of a rash of retirements that plagued – and ultimately crippled – the team during last year’s offseason.

But now, a year after his retirement comes word that Smith might be interested in making a return to the NFL – the caveat being that, if he does, he doesn’t want to play for the 49ers.

Over fourteen standout years in the league – his first seven in Cincinnati followed by seven more in San Francisco – Smith was one of the best defensive ends in the game. He registered 880 tackles, 87 sacks and made a countless number of outstanding plays.

Over those fourteen seasons, Smith missed just three games – one in 2001 and two in 2012 – making him one of the more durable players in the league. Smith was also a two time All Pro, a five time Pro Bowler, and was named the Pro Football Focus and the Sports Illustrated Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Smith was one of the most menacing and ferocious defensive linemen to ever put on a 49ers uniform.

But after fourteen years, Smith had enough and was ready to hang it up. In speaking with NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal last May, Smith said:

"“When you get on the bald tires, you’re on the bald tires… It was just time for me to move on.”"

But after just a year away from the game, there has been talk around the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that Smith may be thinking there is a little tread left on those tires after all. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a league source told him that Smith would like to play again – though he doesn’t want to play for the 49ers again.

If the talk around the Combine is to be believed and Smith is toying with the idea of a comeback, the problem for him is that the 49ers still control his rights. Said Florio:

"“The problem for Smith is that the 49ers continue to control his rights. If he returns, they’d be entitled to his services for the balance of a contract that was tolled when he walked away. He could be traded, but another team would have to be willing to give value to the 49ers for a guy who has been out of the league for a full year — and who will turn 37 in September.”"

And given San Francisco’s need for help on the defensive side of the ball, it’s not a sure bet that the 49ers would be willing to give up their rights to even a 37 year old Smith.

In 2014 – Smith’s last season in the league – he started all sixteen games, but accumulated just 43 total tackles and five sacks – the number of tackles he notched were the lowest of his career. On the other side of that coin though, the five sacks proved he could still be effective at getting to the quarterback.

If there is any truth to the rumor that Smith wants to come back, one has to wonder why he wouldn’t want to play for the 49ers again. It’s a team that he’s familiar with and one he’s already had some success with.

If it’s true that Smith doesn’t want to return to San Francisco, one would have to wonder whether that’s an indictment of the way Jed York and Trent Baalke are running the team or if it’s a protest against new HC Chip Kelly.

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Of course, it could also be that Smith, should he return, knows that his time would be incredibly short and because of that, wants to play for a contender – something the 49ers may not be again for a few years.