Former San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley retired after the 2019 season due to a "deteriorating neck injury." Since then, there has been speculation that the fan-favorite might be a good candidate to join head coach Kyle Shanahan's staff. Maybe that will happen one day. Don't hold your breath, though.
Staley is enjoying his retirement. After 13 NFL seasons, he is using the time off to be with his family and pursue other interests.
That doesn't mean Shanahan isn't doing what he can to convince the six-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman to return. And it sounds like Staley wouldn't be against the idea of returning in the future.
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"Possibly, you might be seeing me up there," Staley said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game's The Morning Roast. "I don't know yet. I'm still working out some things. I know Kyle's trying to get me up there, work on his staff, but I'm not ready to do the coaching thing yet. I'm really, honestly, just enjoying the time that I have with my family right now.
"I have two young girls, seven and four, and we're enjoying spending a ton of time together. I'm catching up on all the time I missed while playing football, and I'm not in a huge hurry to get back into something. I have my hands in a lot of different things, but nothing that's overwhelming (like football). So it's all stuff that I'm getting to choose to do and stuff that I'm looking forward to doing."
Shanahan got together with Staley over the weekend for the Fourth of July holiday. Staley lives just outside San Diego, and Shanahan is spending the offseason break nearby.
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"We get together every few days," Staley shared.
Staley remains close to his former coach. Maybe the two will be working together again at some point in the future. A now-slimmer Staley joked that he might be willing to return as a player if he can play tight end and take George Kittle's job.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Staley below.