It is a new era in Santa Clara, no doubt about it, and that era has included a lot of out with the old and in with the new. It’s not a criticism. It’s a fact, and it’s one that I as a Fan, a Fangirl and a reporter understand.
Yesterday, the San Francisco 49ers released longtime and beloved 49er Navarro Bowman. The linebacker has been a stalwart of the organization, a part of the successful Jim Harbaugh-era teams, and the man that closed out Candlestick Park with the Pick at the Stick we’ll never forget.
“He’s given his heart and soul for this organization,” said general manager John Lynch. “And I know he’s a fan favorite. So, this isn’t going to be easy for the fans, but [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and I felt like it was in the best interest of our team and so we’ve acted accordingly.”
Bowman suffered a horrific knee injury in the 2103 NFC Championship trying desperately to recover a fumble that wasn’t (though it was) that had him out all of 2014. Last season, after signing a huge contract, he unfortunately suffered an achilles injury that prematurely ended his season. It’s bad luck and it sucks because Bo is Bo, and it wasn’t fair.
This season, the Niners were resting Bowman more in certain game situations, which was a source of frustration for the veteran player. But it’s what Shanahan and the team thought was best and planned to stick with that strategy.
“Players don’t always agree with you,” said Shanahan. “…But, we’re going to always give our opinion and tell players what we think is best for our team. And NaVorro’s getting more reps, and he was right at the top in reps as any linebacker in this league. And the scheme we play, being a little bit different than what he’s done in the past, he’s got to run a lot more, he’s got to cover a lot more ground…I thought it would help Bo out to play at a higher level if we took him out a couple of series throughout a game. I thought it would help save his legs more, give him the energy and the bursts that he needed to play in the scheme. And he respectfully disagreed. And I also respect that. And it’s kind of what you expect from a competitor like Bo.
“But, I did tell him how I felt and I said that would be our plan going forward…And after hearing what Drew [Rosenhaus] had told John and how if we weren’t going to change that, that he would be interested in us looking into trading him, and then after we talked to Bo and asked him about it, definitely felt that was…[W]e tried to do what was best for him also and the team and give him a chance to move on. We thought we had those trade partners, but I think he was a little bit more interested in keeping it open for himself to be able to pick what team he wanted.”
Hence, the release as opposed to the trade. The organization worked to do what was best for everyone.
“I can assure you that even though the short timeframe, we spoke to every team in the league,” said Lynch. “And it became very apparent the few that were interested. And we advanced it. And so, we felt like we had exhausted those resources and this was the best decision…I think there was something. Now, there were some technicalities. These trades are complex. So there were some technicalities, but that was a big part of it. Like I said, I think the idea of having 31 teams as options was more appealing to him. And like I said, we felt like he’s earned that right.”
The 49ers expect Reuben Foster to be back sooner rather than later, and so Mr. Foster, you’re up. It’s your turn. It’s a new era in Santa Clara. Welcome to the NFL.