The San Francisco 49ers' top pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, tight end Vernon Davis, announced his retirement just hours before his former Niners squad was set to battle it out with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Davis' announcement came in rather interesting fashion on Fox Sports, a spoof of the 1980s and early 1990s show, The Golden Girls, comically named "The Golden Gronks" along with former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison:
Let's check in on @RobGronkowski and his retirement crew, the Golden Gronks, ft. @jharrison9292 and @VernonDavis85 😂 pic.twitter.com/8iCn9nwuMX
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) February 2, 2020
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed Davis' retirement announcement shortly thereafter.
Davis' career spanned 14 seasons, nearly 10 of which were spent with the 49ers. During that span, Davis recorded 441 catches for 5,640 yards and 55 touchdowns -- all franchise highs for the position. In total, Davis wraps up his NFL career with 583 receptions for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns.
The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl in 2013 when Davis was part of the team, ultimately losing to the Baltimore Ravens. Two years later, the Niners traded Davis to the Denver Broncos, where he subsequently earned a championship ring in Super Bowl 50. Davis then spent the last four seasons of his career with the Washington Redskins.