The San Francisco 49ers knew they were taking a chance drafting Marcus Lattimore. The running back had suffered a gruesome leg injury in the middle of a Heisman-type season which left many wondering if he would ever play football again. However, Lattimore did everything he could to try and make a successful comeback, leaving San Francisco hopeful of his future. However, with retirement now on the horizon, the 49ers are left with some decisions to make.
Just days after stepping onto the field for his first full practice with the 49ers, Lattimore is expected to announce his retirement from football. ESPN.com reports that the 23-year-old is expected to make the announcement following issues with his knees. The running back was not present at the team's game against the St. Louis Rams and head coach Jim Harbaugh told the media he has not seen Lattimore, but would have something more at a later time.
The announcement of the retirement of Lattimore comes as a bit of a surprise considering the running back was very committed to a comeback. He even participated in practice this week and the team was optimistic that the running back could come off the injured reserve list and play some this season. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman told the media that he was pleased with the work Lattimore was showing on the field.
"It was good, very good ... great to see him out there," Roman said via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. "He worked with [running backs] Coach [Tom] Rathman after practice extra and got with some of the defensive players and got some contact work, which was really good. And I know they looked at that this morning in a pretty early meeting.
Lattimore's agent told CSNBayArea.com that nothing was set in stone regarding Lattimore's future. The running back was still taking his time to weigh his options about a return to the field, something that could impact the future of the 49ers' running back rotation. Lattimore was meeting with team trainers to determine the reason behind the soreness in his knees before making the decision regarding his retirement.
The 49ers have decisions to make on their running back rotation regardless of what Lattimore decides. Both Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter will be approaching free agency this offseason. It is likely Gore will make some heavy contract demands considering his resume of work in the NFL. Gore is still a very capable starting running back despite his age, but will the 49ers be willing to meet his demands considering they need to re-sign Michael Crabtree and possibly Vernon Davis?
Not having Lattimore on the roster certainly helps Gore get the contract he wants. However, Carlos Hyde continues to improve which means the 49ers could sign a cheaper back and let Gore walk away. They have some tough choices to make along with the future of Lattimore.
