The San Francisco 49ers return to the practice field Wednesday. On Tuesday, a story broke about an old friend.
Buckner, meanwhile, wasn’t looking to go anywhere.
“I was pissed,” Buckner remembers. “Still in shock almost.”
He wanted another shot.
Four weeks later he learned he wouldn’t get one — not with the 49ers, at least. Buckner’s four-year rookie deal was coming to an end, and he was hoping to cash in. San Francisco had picked up his fifth-year option but wasn’t willing to go further. Too many of his teammates needed to be paid.