These are players no one expects to be great. They look great in preseason, and then disappear. They are preseason mirages. No substance. No future. Just something that isn't really there when you hope it is. They set you up by giving you hope. And then they let you down. It's painful. You tell yourself you won't fall for it again, but then you do.
Remember when Kory Sheets was our future? The undrafted rookie free agent impressed in the 2009 preseason. He was never heard from again.
Remember when Glen Coffee was the heir-apparent to Frank Gore? He led the NFL in rushing in the 2009 preseason. He played in 14 games. Then he retired.
Remember when Nate Davis was the rocket-armed quarterback who was going to be the next 49ers great? Not sure where he went either.
Remember when Jarryd Hayne retired from the Professional Rugby League in Australia to join the 49ers? Everyone went nuts over the Hayne Train. Then he muffed a punt in the season opener, and never touched the ball again. Now he's serving a three-year prison sentence for raping a woman.
So if Austin Watkins, Jr. looks like the second coming of Jerry Rice, temper your excitement. If Josh Rosen looks like another Dan Marino, don't fall for it. If Arden Key suddenly gives you flashbacks of Charles Haley, remember that I've warned you.
My point is, have fun tonight and for the rest of the preseason. Enjoy the games. Enjoy seeing your new players. But don't fall for the mirages. They will only break your heart.
Written By:
Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
YouTube.com/@49ersCamelot
Find the 49ers Camelot show wherever you listen to your podcasts!
All articles by Marc Adams
Marc Adams
Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
YouTube.com/@49ersCamelot
Find the 49ers Camelot show wherever you listen to your podcasts!
All articles by Marc Adams
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
De'Zhaun Stribling is creating the kind of rookie buzz 49ers fans haven't heard in a while
There is a difference between a rookie having a good training camp and a rookie having a training camp that makes people stop and take notice. Every year, rookies make plays. Some look impressive. Some earn starting jobs. Others become contributors. But every once in a while,... -
49ers work out two more defensive players, including former Cardinals draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers are continuing to look for help at edge rusher. In addition to veteran edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who reportedly worked out for the team on Sunday, the 49ers also brought in outside linebackers Andre Carter and Xavier Thomas for workouts, according... -
49ers have learned to keep secrets, but is this a good thing?
For years, the San Francisco 49ers had a reputation for being one of the easiest NFL teams to get information from. Not because the team was particularly transparent, but because information seemed to find its way out of the building. That changed in 2017. Since Kyle Shanahan... -
49ers' Trent Williams embraces final NFL chapter, savoring every training camp moment
San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams made it clear that his current contract, which runs through the 2027 season, will likely be the final deal of his illustrious NFL career. Speaking to reporters after the 49ers' first training camp practice on Sunday, Williams was...