NaVorro Bowman stops by 49ers facility, tells team he's retiring as a 49er
For a stretch, NaVorro Bowman was one of the best inside linebackers we’ve ever seen in the NFL.
As can happen in the NFL, injuries — and one brutal knee injury in particular —slowed down what seemed to be a sure Hall-of-Fame career.
But Bowman will always be a legend for the San Francisco 49ers. On Tuesday he stopped at the 49ers facility and informed the team he is retiring as a 49er. Which is how it should be, after the great years he spent in San Francisco.
Forever a Niner.@NBowman53 came by the #49ers facility today to inform the team he plans to retire and will be doing it as a 49er as he had always intended.
Read: https://t.co/JpNRlwAkp1 pic.twitter.com/KPJMLA1IBs— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) June 4, 2019
The 49ers don’t currently have an open roster spot to sign Bowman to a ceremonial contract, but that could come later this offseason. Or perhaps the gesture of telling the 49ers he’s retiring with that organization is enough for him.
Unfortunately we didn’t get a long career from Bowman, but what he did in a relatively short time was special.
NaVorro Bowman becomes an All-Pro
When Bowman was drafted in the third round by the 49ers in 2010, he wasn’t an instant star. He started just one game as a rookie.
In 2011 Jim Harbaugh became the 49ers coach, he put Bowman in the starting lineup and both Bowman and the 49ers took off.
Bowman, playing alongside Patrick Willis, made his first All-Pro team in 2011, and the 49ers shocked everyone by going 13-3. Bowman was an All-Pro in 2012 and 2013 as well. His most memorable moment was probably near the end of the 2013 season, when his 89-yard interception return for a touchdown sealed a win over the Falcons in the final regular-season game in Candlestick Park history.
Bowman could do it all. Then came the injuries.
Injuries cut Bowman’s career short
In a classic NFC championship game against the Seahawks at the end of the 2013 season, Bowman suffered a gruesome knee injury. He’d miss the entire 2014 season.
When Bowman returned in 2015, he led the NFL with 154 tackles and was named first-team All-Pro for the fourth time. It was a testament to his ability and toughness.
Bowman played just 19 games after that, however. In 2016 he tore his Achilles. He returned in 2017 but was cut by the 49ers during the season. He was picked up by the Raiders and played 10 games, then was out of football in 2018.
Sometimes it’s unfair to judge football players’ legacies by longevity. It’s a violent sport and bad injuries can happen at any time. But what we should remember about Bowman is that when he was healthy, there were few inside linebackers who were better.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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