Anthony Davis surprised many in the football world last summer when the 26-year old offensive lineman decided to step away from his football career to give his mind and body a breather. After a year off, Davis is ready to return to the league and is hoping to be allowed back in this fall.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports, via Twitter, Davis plans to apply for official reinstatement from the NFL so he may be able to play football next season.
Former 49ers OT Anthony Davis, who abruptly retired last June, will apply for reinstatement and wants to play in 2016, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 26, 2016
Davis was one of three of the younger NFL players to suddenly step into retirement before the age of 26 last year. Jake Locker and Chris Borland also retired due to various concerns about head trauma. Andrew Brandt wrote last summer for Sports Illustrated “with only more knowledge and more resources becoming available about football’s long-term impact on players’ health, it’s hard to believe there won’t be more of these preemptive (and largely asymptomatic) retirements.”
It is worth noting the requirements a player must meet in order to qualify to benefit from the NFL’s pension fund as well. As it is currently constructed, all players having played four years in the league (with a minimum of three games played to qualify for one year) qualify for the benefits. With growing awareness over the long-term impacts of head injuries, Brandt is right to suggest we will see a handful of early retirements on a regular basis, especially once those players put in the minimum to qualify for the pension.
This is not a suggestion Davis was retiring with that in mind though (Davis played four full seasons and qualified under those pension parameters). Sometimes it really is as simple as looking out for yourself and making sure you have the right mindset and your body is in good enough condition to go through the rigors of the NFL life.
Davis was signed to a five-year contract with the 49ers, which has now expired. If he is allowed to return to the league, he would do so as a true free agent.
