5 former players 49ers wish they had back for upcoming 2022 season

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While the 49ers have a stacked roster heading into 2022, they’d likely wish they could have these five former players to help out this upcoming season.

OK, we’re playing with another “what if?” scenario, and that’s always a silly exercise because what-ifs don’t exist in reality.

But it’s the San Francisco 49ers’ offseason, so it never hurts (too much) to play around and have some fun with discussion points.

Such as the idea of the 2022 Niners somehow being able to bring back former players into the fold to help them get over the hump and finally reach that elusive sixth Lombardi Trophy this season.

Sure, it’d be great if San Francisco could somehow resurrect the glory heyday years of Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott, among others, to immaculately help head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad. Let’s try keeping things a little more recent, though, focusing on former 49ers who were on the team in one regard or another from the last 10 years.

Some are retired. Others are playing elsewhere. However, if the Niners could magically revert these five players back to their roster and in their prime, the 2022 squad would truly be a powerhouse group.

No. 5 player 49ers would love to have back: OT Joe Staley

Maybe current NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Joe Staley, a San Francisco favorite anyway, could be coaxed out of retirement after hanging up his cleats in 2020.

Staley, the six-time Pro Bowler, actually wouldn’t get his starting left tackle job back if he were to somehow return, as that spot is locked down by the All-Pro, Trent Williams, who arguably served as an upgrade when the 49ers acquired him in the wake of Staley’s retirement.

However, assuming Staley wouldn’t mind playing right tackle, the role he started his NFL career, it would be a notable upgrade over the incumbent, Mike McGlinchey, who is returning from a season-ending quad tear suffered in 2021 anyway.

McGlinchey and Staley are close, so perhaps the former would embrace a swing-tackle role while Staley got all the starter’s glory.