The NFL got some surprising news with legendary quarterback Philip Rivers coming out of retirement to join the Indianapolis Colts.
Meanwhile, San Francisco 49ers legend and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis was asked about a potential return of his own and left the door slightly ajar.
When asked about whether he would ever come out of retirement to rejoin the Niners, Willis said, "I’ve been asked this question and truthfully, I always say, 'Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.'"
Now, Willis seemed to be saying it a little bit in jest, and the odds of him returning for San Francisco seem very, very low, to say the least. But the fact that it was even asked somewhat tongue in cheek reflects the grim reality of the 49ers at linebacker right now.
The Niners have already been without their All-Pro and emotional leader Fred Warner for most of this season. He went down with a brutal ankle injury, yet there is some hope that he could make a miracle return in the playoffs, but even that seems a little far-fetched.
Tatum Bethune came in and played well, but now he is hurt, too, so the 49ers have had to lean on third-stringer Curtis Robinson and signed veteran Eric Kendricks to the practice squad, so they at least have enough depth at the position going forward.
Really, it would probably take some sort of calamity of injuries to the entire linebacker depth chart for the 49ers to even entertain asking the Hall of Fame linebacker to come out of retirement and lend a hand.
Willis hasn't played in the NFL in over a decade, so for him to come out of retirement at the age of 40 would be remarkable and even more shocking than Rivers coming back for one more rodeo.
Imagine some bizarre scenario, though, in which Rivers is the starting quarterback for the Colts in Week 16 on Monday Night Football against the Niners, and Willis is suited up for action as well. That scenario will not happen, but it would feel like some weird fever dream from 2010.
Still, if any player could come out of retirement and play linebacker at a serviceable level, Willis would not be a bad bet.
He has seemed to live up to that credo of staying ready, so he does not have to get ready and looks to be in phenomenal shape, so he could probably make an open field tackle if he needed to.
Doing it against Colts star rusher Jonathan Taylor is another question, but Willis' comments on Rivers returning to the NFL at least provide a fun little "what-if" scenario.