49ers announce Marcus Lattimore’s retirement

The 49ers announced Marcus Lattimore’s retirement Wednesday morning. Here’s a statement from Trent Baalke, and a statement from Lattimore.

BAALKE: “This was a very difficult decision for Marcus and it was clear after speaking with him that he had put a lot of thought into it. He is a high-character young man who has done everything asked of him and more during his time with us and we have a great deal of respect for the strength and commitment he showed throughout the rehab process. It has been a pleasure to have Marcus as a member of our team and our community and we are confident that he will be very successful in whichever path he chooses to take in life. We look forward to supporting Marcus and wish him nothing but the best.”

LATTIMORE: “After prayer and careful consideration, I have decided it’s time to end my professional football career. I have given my heart and soul to the game that I love, and it’s time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life and help others. I have given every ounce of my energy toward making a full recovery from my knee injury, and I have made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, getting my knee fully back to the level the NFL demands has proven to be insurmountable.

“I am grateful for the entire 49ers organization. Their decision to draft me was the realization of a lifelong dream to be an NFL player, and I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and for doing everything in their power to assist in my recovery. I will always be a 49er!

“Though I am proud of what I have accomplished throughout my football career, I am sincerely disappointed that it must end, but I trust that God has a great plan for my future. As for what’s next, I will be returning to the University of South Carolina to complete my degree. I cannot say enough about the support from the Gamecock family since the first day I stepped on campus until now. I am so proud to be a part of the USC family, and I promise to always represent the garnet and black with honor and integrity. I will also continue to work with my foundation, the Marcus Lattimore Foundation / DREAMS, to provide opportunities and platforms to benefit youth sports programs in the state of South Carolina. I am looking forward to pursuing my personal interests and helping others achieve their goals and dreams.

“There are so many people who have supported me throughout my career; it is impossible to list them all and to show them the proper gratitude. I must thank God for all of His blessings and guidance. I would not be where I am today without the support of my family. I also appreciate the outpouring of support from friends, fans, opposing players and strangers; your support means more than you will ever know.”

This article has 47 Comments

  1. I’m sad that I will never see play in a Niners uniform but am glad you didn’t take a chance with your health because that is more important here. God bless Marcus Lattimore and I wish you all the best.

    1. ^ That goes for me too, MidWest ..

      Wish I coulda seen him play.. but I guess it was
      not to be …

      Hey Dude .. where ya been ?

      1. I’ve been dealing with health issues MW, ones that could unfortunately force to make more lifestyle changes including looking for a new line of work.

  2. Man I was really wanting him to play. Wonder if the 49ers would look a Todd Gurley. Maybe not with Hyde…

  3. The Lattimore pick was a gamble with a good chance of not working out. Baalke knew that. The press knew that. Most of us knew it.

    – It cost the 49ers a 131rst pick (chart value a measly 40 points)
    – The compensatory pick could not be traded
    – The 49ers had few roster spots
    – Marcus was NFI, so he never used a roster spot

    If Baalke tries the same kind of thing with an non-trade-able compensatory pick, I’m fine with it.

    Value Group, Pick, % 3-year starters, % Pro Bowl

    VG1, 1-13, 74%, 44%
    VG2, 14-40, 61%, 19%
    VG3, 41-66, 44%, 13%
    VG4, 67-86, 30%, 6%
    VG5, 87-149, 19%, 4% (Lattimore)
    VG6, 150-189, 12%, 3%
    VG7, 190+, 8%, 2%

    http://www.ninersnation.com/2014/3/25/5492252/draft-101-intermediate

    1. I would have to disagree that this is mostly on the players. At the very end of the game the niners made a late game push to win. The problem is that it came down to that.
      The lowest point total scored against the rams prior to this game was 17 pts, and this was done by the Bucs. The 49ers won the turnover battle as well (I’m not counting the final play of the game because it didnt provide the rams with an opportunity to score and it was the last play of the game)… You’re telling me the offense provided with 2 turnovers and multiple short fields couldnt at least match Tampa Bay.
      In short, the 49ers Defense played a great game and gave the offense opportunity after opportunity to do something, and they failed the entire game. When you fail that completely a lot of the blame has to fall on the coaches.

      1. The 49ers average starting field position in the second half was their own 17 yard line.

            1. I wish Grant can tell us what type of plays the Niners are practicing during the week. Are they actually spending all their time on spread and empty set formations?

              If that’s the philosophy for the offense, there are two big issues: They don’t have the O-Line and QB for that offense. We have some good receivers though!

              How inept was the offense during the Singletary/Raye regime? Was it ever as bad as this?

              When does the Blaine era begin? Oh wait I think it started already, he threw the first TD in preseason, and so far is the only QB on record to have led a TD drive in the 4th Quarter.

            2. I didnt miss it.
              I just also note that the offense struggled the entire game. While, they did make a drive to end the game that gave them the posibility to win. The fact remains they failed to score a single point in the second half.
              Being in position to beat a bad team on the final play of game doesn’t lead me to think that the offensive game plan was good or even mediocre, especially when the Defense gave up less than 200 total yards and held the opponent 13 points in spite of the offense and special teams giving the opponent the ball on within field goal range. (Essentially the Defense game up 7 pts and offense special teams gave up 6.)
              I understand where your comming from, I just have to disagree. While the offense unit played poorly namely the oline. Thier were multiple times where the coaching staff placed them in bad situations by calling single or no rb sets, allowing the defense to freely rush the qb as we dont run out of those formations.

    2. Jack..
      Once again, an excellent read .. but
      obviously, I don’t have as critical of an eye as you, when
      watching the games, because ..what I saw was..
      (for the most part) Kaep was running for his life
      for most of the game ..

      If the O-Line gave him at least 2-3 more seconds each play..
      I’m sure the outcome would have been much different ,,

      (and I wouldn’t be as depressed as I am about it)

    3. Pretty good Jack. Especially the part about how they tried to even out the ratio in second half ;)

      1. rocket,

        There’s a reason I wait until Wednesday to write about stuff like this, and I get what you mean. ; )

  4. Man I wish he could of played. Gore, Hyde, Lattimore and k. Hunter. We would of had the best backfield in the nfl. Wouldn’t had to worry about drafting a running back in the up coming year. Could use those picks early on finding a shut down def. back, a pass rusher, in case of a.smith getting into trouble agian. And Ahmad Brooks, R.Mcdonald ,and J.smith all in there 30’s . Could find a 6-3 receiver with speed. To open things up for the backs. Plus crabtree may leave. And A.Bolden is 33 . And lastly use a later pick on o-line help , and a stud noise tackle .
    Def.back
    pass rush
    Big ,but fast wide receiver
    O-line man
    Big physical nose tackle

  5. That’s a shame that he couldn’t make it back to the football field. Much respect to him for his efforts, and also for his decision to return to school and finish his education.

  6. More evidence that McCloughan, and not Baalke, should be running this team. Instead of the bum from South Carolina with Frank Gore knees and a Glen Coffee heart, we could have gotten Zac Stacey or Andre Ellington. #FireBaalke

    1. That was as bad a comment as I have seen. Give Lattimore a break. He tried and at least he was honest with himself and others. You sir are a d!ck

      1. Yeah, I don’t think there’s any basis for calling Lattimore a bum or the suggestion that he lacks heart. Then again, that’s par for the course with E.

        1. You guys are soft. Lattimore took the Niners $$$ for almost 2 full seasons, used the facilities and team doctors to get back to a level of health that was objectively sufficient to allow him to play, then, after experiencing soreness, he decided he didn’t really want to play anymore. Frank Gore had 2 knees blown out in college, and has had a HOF career. Lattimore owed it to the team to at least get all the way back to the field on gameday before quitting. Instead of dead meat sucking our trainers time and energy, Niners could have had Stacey or Ellington. Baalke is not Dr. Frankenstein and should not be permitted by ownership to pretend he is. So far Lattimore is a dud, Carradine is a dud, and we get to wait and see on Brandon Thomas and Keith Reaser. Like I said, you guys are soft. Baalke’s drafts are nowhere near as productive as some say, and his penchant for taking injured players is ill-conceived.

          1. Dr. Pork Box Luncheon:

            .Lattimore took the Niners $$$ for almost 2 full seasons, used the facilities and team doctors to get back to a level of health that was objectively sufficient to allow him to play, then, after experiencing soreness, he decided he didn’t really want to play anymore. …Lattimore owed it to the team to at least get all the way back to the field on gameday before quitting. Instead of dead meat sucking our trainers time and energy …

            Just because you label your subjective opinion as objective doesn’t make it so.

            I am impressed, however, that you managed to go squeeze in medical school while you were serving as an NFL scout and as a highly sought after advisor to Fortune 100 executives. Not only that, but your training apparently was so good that you feel entitled to offer a conclusory medical opinion on Lattimore’s injury without examining him, meeting him or even reading his file.

            https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1eDJaOCAAAjac8.jpg

            1. Claude

              Look up objective. If the team doctors passed him for practice, if he was taken off the NFI by the team in anticipation of playing, he was most likely ready to go by objective standards.

              I don’t really understand why any Niner fan can be happy with Lattimore any more than with Glen Coffee. Can you explain that, Claude?

              1. E:

                Look up objective.

                Sure, why not?

                ob·jec·tive adjective \əb-ˈjek-tiv, äb-\

                based on facts rather than feelings or opinions : not influenced by feelings …

                expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations …

                the opposite of E’s observations and opinions

                http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/objective

                Sounds about right to me.

              2. Claude

                You just proved my point. Fact: team doctors cleared him to play. I have no feelings on the matter, other than disappointment because I had hoped Lattimore would be the next AP, as he was touted before his injuries.

                So, again Claude, why would any Niners fan give Lattimore any more or less love than Glen Coffee? Seriously, all he did was use the team to get paid and get healed. He owes the team more than to simply quit before trying. In the end, it’s Lattimore that will look back on his decision and always wonder “what if?”.

              3. E:

                You just proved my point.

                Said no one except you.

                Fact: team doctors cleared him to play.

                No, they cleared him to take the next step, which was full contact in practice. His knee apparently did not respond favorably. That you find it necessary to misdescribe the facts pretty much settles this, but let’s look at the rest of your nonsense.

                I have no feelings on the matter

                Your descriptions of Lattimore as (a) a bum, (b) a quitter and (c) “dead meat sucking our trainers time and energy” prove otherwise.

                So, again Claude, why would any Niners fan give Lattimore any more or less love than Glen Coffee

                Because, unlike you, the rest of us can see a significant difference between the two. Lattimore busted his a$$ trying to overcome great adversity, drawing nothing but admiration and praise from his teammates; Coffee just quit.

                You might want to quit doubling down when you get caught writing something stupid. You only make things worse.

                PS, Niner Al had you pegged correctly.

            1. E is one to go to an emergency room for a paper cut. No need for a cardiologist either… no heart

  7. I have had a great deal of respect for Lattimore’ strident effort in working his way back on the field, but today I have much more respect for him.

    Like Baalke stated, this had to be a very difficult decision for Latt to make because he worked so hard to get back.
    It would have been awe-inspiring to see Marcus play in the Red and Gold, but he knows his body (knee) better than anyone and I respect his yeomen’s efforts and now his decision.
    God Bless you Marcus.

    1. Fan you big Troll stop blaming everything on Kaepernick didn’t you see how bad the o-line was….you QB haters make me wanna wretch. ;)

      1. CFC,
        It is an interesting read. You can make up your own mind what it means. We have a pretty average offense. Everyone has a hand in it. Some more then others.

        1. I didn’t listen to the entire interview but one thing I did notice is that he never mentioned that the play calling had anything to do with their struggles. He did however mention that Kaepernick sucks.

          1. CFC,
            I didn’t listen to the interview yet. What I took from the article there are still a lot of things that Kaep needs to work on. He was misreading the defense most of the day. When the things are going well, it’s easy to overlook, but now the the offense is struggling, everyone is paying attention, trying to figure out what’s wrong, not necessarily who is to blame.
            During the first game agains the Cowboys, I saw some plays that Kaep made that made me think he was going to have a great season. I singled out one play, a great pass to Boldin, and Cosell did too. So it’s not like we’re trying to find fault in everything.
            I dunno… it’s just starting to look more and more like he’s not developing like we hoped.

  8. Seriously disappointed that it didn’t work out with Lattimore. As a team fan I’m disappointed we didn’t get any production from the draft pick. As a player fan I’m disappointed that he was so close but never really able to get a taste of being an NFL player. Im not sure what’s worse never coming close or coming as close as he did only to have it pulled away. I can’t imagine how painful this decision had to be and how much his heat must still ache from the thought of missing out on his dream. I at least can have optimism that someone with his character and work ethic will have success in whatever field he decides to enter.

    Good luck Marcus, I wish you nothing but the best.

    1. Just read that Spurrier offered him a job, classy. Glad to hear he’ll have options.

  9. Lattimore intends to complete his degree which might be a first for a Spurrier run program.

  10. I am saddened by Lattimore’s retirement, and hope for the best for him.

    What does this mean for draft strategy for next year for the 49ers. Also, what do you think it will mean if the niners take a QB in the early rounds?

  11. In the past Kaepernick was never forced to learn to be a pocket quarterback. He is learning now, what he should have learned in college. He may learn or he may never learn. Someone like this is not a franchise quarterback but is instead a work in progress.

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