I cannot remember the last time I saw an NFL team get hit with not one, not two, but three retirements in the same offseason.
Ok yes, Justin Smith and his announcement to retire wasn’t exactly a shocker, as rumors of his retirement floated around since last season, but the sudden departures of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland were, and they’ve got to leave a 49ers fan base just a little shaken.
Nobody thought Willis would call it a career, but when he did, it was ok because we had Chris Borland, and we all saw what he could do in the time he played last season.