Former San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders linebacker, NaVorro Bowman, officially announced his retirement back on June 4. The 49ers, the team which drafted Bowman out of Penn State in the third round of the 2010 draft, couldn't officially sign him to a one-day deal back then because it would require a corresponding roster move.
The 49ers signed Bowman on Monday, making his retirement with the organization official, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
So he can retire as a member of the franchise, the #49ers have signed LB NaVorro Bowman. Bowman, who last played in 2017 with the Raiders, officially retired in June. Here's the story from the spring: https://t.co/FpR4gvE6Np
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) July 22, 2019
Update: The 49ers placed Bowman on the reserve/retired list on Tuesday, July 23, which means he is now officially retired from the NFL.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that the 49ers were able to sign Bowman now thanks to a new rule allowing them to do so because rookies Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel remain unsigned.
"I was a guy coming from District Heights, Maryland, and this was the organization that chose to let me play in the NFL," Bowman said in June. "I just felt like where you started is — no matter how things are going to go, relationships are going to go up and down all the time, but you always remember how it was.
RELATED Ex-49ers LB NaVorro Bowman officially retires from the NFL
"You remember the blood, sweat, and tears of the guys you played with, and the respect that you earned, that's not given to you. I feel like the 49ers is my home, and it's the place that loved me from the start. So I wanted to come back and retire as a Niner, and they welcomed me, so I'm glad it happened."
Bowman accumulated 798 combined tackles with 14 sacks, 29 passes defensed, five interceptions, a touchdown, and seven forced fumbles during his eight years in the NFL. He missed all of the 2014 season and most of the 2016 season due to major injuries to his left leg. Bowman suffered gruesome ACL and MCL tears in the NFC Championship Game in January of 2014. A torn Achilles tendon ended his 2016 season nearly 13 months after his return from that previous injury.