NFL Rumors: Anthony Davis Wants Release From San Francisco 49ers

NFL rumors are swirling around Anthony Davis. The offensive tackle is trying to come out of retirement, but it might not be with the San Francisco 49ers after all. According to NBC Sports, Davis has grown tired of negotiating with general manager Trent Baalke. It has gotten to the point where Anthony has taken to social media to let the media and the public know of his issues with the team. Davis appears to be pushing for a divorce, so that he can continue his career with another team in the National Football League.

The return of Anthony Davis doesn’t come as a shock to people in the NFL. Shortly after he surprised the sports world by announcing his retirement, the former Rutgers Scarlet Knights star eased off by stating that he would consider a return after taking a year off to recover physically and mentally. The belief has long been that he would be doing it with the San Francisco 49ers because they own his rights.

There is speculation that the issue between Anthony Davis and Trent Baalke might be over the bonus money that the former forfeited when he retired from the NFL. The 26-year-old right tackle might feel that he’s entitled to that bonus because his contract with the San Francisco 49ers picked up right where it left off. Baalke, on the other hand, might be unwilling to pay that because Davis walked away from the team.

Since the team ended up losing so much talent in a short period of time, the abrupt retirement of Anthony Davis really put the San Francisco 49ers in a bind. Mike Iupati left in free agency to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, so the Niners really only had Alex Boone and Joe Staley. Boone already had one foot out the door because he wasn’t pleased that San Francisco didn’t give him the contract that he was seeking.

Hard feelings may need to be put aside if Trent Baalke wants an improved offensive line. Both the running game and passing game suffered last year because the San Francisco 49ers offensive line wasn’t as dominant as it used to be. There was a point in time where they were arguably the best unit in the NFL, which, not coincidentally, was when the team was challenging for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Anthony Davis would be the quickest fix for the starting right tackle position. Last season, Trenton Brown and Erik Pears attempted to fill in at the position. Though they weren’t a disaster, they were clearly a downgrade from Davis. With former Jacksonville Jaguars star Zane Beadles expected to replace Alex Boone at left guard, then Brown or Pears can be bumped inside to start at right guard next to Davis.

If Anthony Davis receives his release from the San Francisco 49ers, then he’s going to have plenty of options in the NFL. Several teams are still looking to upgrade their offensive line. The Carolina Panthers would be foolish to not kick the tires to see if Davis would be interested in protecting starting quarterback Cam Newton, something that the team was not able to do in the Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware frequently harassed Newton and took the Panthers out of their rhythm.

Cooler heads need to prevail between Anthony Davis and Trent Baalke. The San Francisco 49ers need as much talent as they can get because it is a shame when great teams fall from the top of the mountain and hit hard on the bottom. Davis can help them start climbing again.

[Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images]