First it was Patrick Willis, now Justin Smith gets to join the bevy of rumors of returning after just one year of retirement. Mike Florio reported that a source within the NFL has said Smith would like to return to the league.
Just one problem: He doesn't want to play for the San Francisco 49ers. Go figure.
This makes an interesting situation if true. The 49ers hold Smith's rights and if he decided to play again, he'd be contractually obligated to play for the organization. Obviously, the team could work up a trade and send him somewhere, but that would require a team to give up something in return for a defensive player in their twilight that has been out of the league for a year.