Retirement and Trades

It has been an extremely sad week in the football world. Many teams have been gaining amazing players, while the Niners have lost what seems to be their entire team. To start off, the Niners did not re-sign Frank Gore. The Indianapolis Colts saw that as a great opportunity to snatch him up. He will probably be their starting running back which will definitely be a threat to many teams. Gore was one of the core offensive players, the team could always count on him to gain a couple yards, convert third downs, and score touchdowns. He is an amazing football player and it was really sad to see him go.
One of my all-time favorite football players will also not be playing for the Niners this year, or any team to be exact. Patrick Willis, a six time All Pro and seven time Pro Bowl linebacker. One of the greatest linebackers ever to play in the NFL, in my opinion. He was one of the reasons I wanted to play football so badly. I grew up watching him and my entire family would root for him every Sunday. He has a big heart and love for football. At the age of thirty he decided it was time to retire from the NFL. Football, while it is very fun, it is extremely hard on the body. The biggest concern of his was getting any sort of head injuries. Many players have brain damage from the sport and he knew he did not want to risk it. I respect his decision. His legend will live on for a long time. He will definitely be missed.

Patrick Willis announcing his retirement
photo from: http://www.mercurynews.com

Chris Borland also will be leaving the Niners and the NFL as a whole. At the young age of twenty-four Chris Borland decided he didn't want to play football anymore. This ties back to the ongoing injuries many have to endure while playing the sport. This past season was his first with the Niners. He was one of the main defensive players and was Willis's "fill in" when he had his toe injury. Borland surprised many with his hard hits and impressive field awareness. You could count on him to fill any hole and cover any and every part of the field. His retirement was unexpected, but he left with a good year behind him.
Last and finally not least, the Niners lost their head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh was having arguments with the franchise and transferred to be the head coach at Michigan. While many though Harbaugh was crazy, I really enjoyed him. He had a winning record and loved the guys. This year will not be the same without him and the team will definitely have to adjust to the new coaching of Jim Tomsula.
Many changes were made, but hopefully there will be improvement made. I'm looking forward to see how next year goes. Leave a comment and tell me who you think will win next year's Superbowl!