Joe Staley struggled after returning from the fractured fibula that forced the veteran offensive tackle to miss six games ... and then fractured and dislocated his finger and sat out an additional three games. He struggled again after returning in Week 14 but has since seemingly returned to form.
That's good news for a San Francisco 49ers team gearing up for a Super Bowl run.
"I came back for the Saints game, didn't really feel (like) myself," Staley told reporters on Thursday.
The offensive lineman's performance against the Seattle Seahawks was his best of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. He stepped up when the 49ers needed him the most — on the road, in a hostile environment which the team hasn't won in since 2011, and with the division crown on the line.
What does Staley attribute to his improved play?
"Just got healthier, honestly," the veteran tackle responded. "I'm feeling better now."
Staley, described as the heart and soul of the 49ers by his teammates, deserves the benefit of the doubt when questioned about his play. The coaching staff knows what Staley means to the 49ers organization. The players do, too. Everyone is glad to see the Staley of old — and not an old Staley — on the football field again.
On Sunday against the Seahawks, and for the third time this season, Staley did not allow a single pressure from an opposing defender, per Pro Football Focus. It was his first such game since Weeks 1 and 2.
"He was unbelievable. He looked like Joe Staley again, these last few weeks," second-year tackle Mike McGlinchey said.
For all the reasons already mentioned, Sunday's win in Seattle was an emotional one for Staley, who has ridden the 49ers rollercoaster through his 13 NFL seasons. He has been through the ups and downs of several regimes. Staley has seen it all. He has enjoyed a Super Bowl run and endured a two-win season. Staley has protected 12 different starting quarterbacks ... and can almost name all of them.
With another potential Super Bowl run on the line, and after riding with the Niners during his entire career, Staley knows this opportunity is rare. Maybe that's why the offensive lineman got emotional following the hard-fought Week 17 victory.
All the feels. @jstaley74 and the #49ers are NFC West Champs. pic.twitter.com/5lANrkep43
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 30, 2019
"How cool is it that I get to sit and watch him go through what he's gone through this year with how tough this year has been physically for him coming back with his leg and his back and his hand and all this kind of stuff?" McGlinchey added. "To then come back in a Week 17 matchup and show out the way that he did, when our team needed him to the most. ... He did it in the hardest of circumstances and showed why he is Joe Staley."
The questions surrounding the future are inevitable any time a player has to fight through an injury-plagued season. While Staley, a husband and dad, would probably enjoy more time with his family, he isn't thinking about retirement just yet.
"I don't know why everybody's been asking me that question," Staley said. "Because I got injured everybody's like, 'Oh you're gonna be retiring now?'"
The 49ers undoubtedly believed Staley has more in the tank. The team signed the tackle to a two-year extension in June, ensuring he remains under contract through the 2021 season. Retirement thoughts might not come until that deal has run its course.
"I just signed a contract here," Staley added. "I still love playing football. It's like the ninth time someone's asked me that. I'm starting to wonder why."
Staley feels like he has a lot of football left in him. People can say what they want about any perceived decline in play or thoughts of retirement, but Staley will keep doing his job.
"It's good motivation," Staley added.
