The San Francisco 49ers are going to look like an entirely different team when they take the field next season as Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are reportedly going to retire from the NFL.
The announcements are expected soon:
Defensive lineman Justin Smith and linebacker Patrick Willis are expected to retire and the announcements could come early this week, sources told CSNBayArea.com. Smith’s likely retirement was first reported Monday morning by Pro Football Talk.
With the news that Frank Gore is reportedly signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Niners will soon have a dearth of leadership and continuity in the locker room.
#49ers captains:
2011: Willis, Gore
2012: Willis, Gore, JSmith ASmith
2013: Willis, JSmith, Kap
2014: Willis, JSmith, Kap, Staley
2015: ???
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) March 9, 2015
It’s a good thing that the 49ers have continuity on the coaching staff to help mitigate all these valuable losses, right?
Oh. That’s right.
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