When Anthony Davis was making it clear he wanted out of the 49ers organization earlier this spring, he said, among other things: “Don’t speak to me in code.”
So the 49ers have decided to send him a clear message: Even if he comes back, they’re not handing him a starting job.
Via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, 49ers line coach Pat Flaherty said when he spoke to Davis after taking the job, he emphasized that message from the start.
“And he knows this, coming from me, if he wants to play, then he’s got to come back and prove he can play,” Flaherty said. “It’s got to come from within. You can tell him exactly what I just said, ‘Listen, you’ll have an opportunity to play. But that’s all it is. You decided for whatever reason to retire. If you come back in the game, nothing is going to be handed to you. You’re going to have to work your tail off.’
“And the conversation that I’ve had back when I first got here, was he was acceptable to that. Now, I don’t see him. I don’t know why. So I can’t answer that one.”
Davis has sent out hints he’d like to return after retiring for a year, but his last social media volley left no doubt he didn’t want to do it in San Francisco. And having an assistant coach fairly blatantly taunt him probably isn’t going to encourage him to change his mind, especially on a roster with no clear obstacles between Davis and his old starting gig.
