Joe Staley on Saturday announced his retirement, but his time with the 49ers isn’t likely to end any time soon. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said in his post-draft press conference that the team would welcome him back in any capacity.
“We’ll have Joe wherever he wants to be,” Shanahan told reporters on a video conference call Saturday evening.
Staley was a beloved member of the 49ers’ locker room and one of the team’s veteran leaders. He spent his entire 13-year career in San Francisco while earning six Pro Bowl nods and playing in two Super Bowls. The 49ers experienced all the ups and downs an NFL franchise can experience during Staley’s career, and the left tackle was a steady presence at left tackle through all of it.
The 35-year-old considered retiring after a dreary 2016 campaign where the 49ers won only two games, but he returned with a new lease on his football life with the entrance of Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. He wound up playing for three more seasons while helping foster a new locker room culture in San Francisco.
Staley was an integral part of the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl last season and played a key role in all of their successes over his 13 years. His exit from the field doesn’t mean he won’t still make an impact by being around, so keeping one of the all-time great 49ers in the organization makes a lot of sense.
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