Anthony Davis Re-retires from NFL

In an unanticipated move yesterday, Anthony Davis has informed his team, the San Francisco 49ers that he plans to submit his retirement to the National Football League. There was a brief notice published on Twitter from the team.

This is Davis’ second retirement in the past 15 months. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Davis missed practice on September 10, and the team reported recurring symptoms of concussion on September 15. Davis has not practiced with the team since that time.

AD missed the entire 2015 season after he left the team to let his “brain and body” heal after a 2014 season that was plagued with injuries to his hamstring and knee as well as a concussion that he stated later left him in a fog for a period of time following the injury.

Upon his return to the team this season, he entered training camp 35 pounds lighter than he left in 2014, drawing compliments from head coach Chip Kelly. However, in camp he was asked to move from right tackle to right guard, a position he had not played since his freshman year at Rutgers in 2007. It obviously upset Davis, who missed a practice just prior to opening day, and therefore did not start in the guard position, either.

By retiring, Davis walks away from a very lucrative contract that is scheduled to pay him base salaries of $2.65 million (2016), $4 million (2017), and $5.375 million (2018-2019).

If his retirement is due to concussions, I applaud him for making a decision that will spare him further injuries. It is an intelligent decision that too many players put off making until they see evidence of brain injury. As Davis himself tweeted yesterday: