For all his greatness, Joe Montana did not.
And neither did Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig, Tom Rathman …
Yes, plenty of the 49ers’ storied players weren’t given the chance to finish their career with the team that drafted them. And that history is relevant considering developments in recent months with inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman.
After an offseason in which he was the subject of a trade report and told he would compete to remain a starter, Bowman, 29, was placed in another unfamiliar spot Sunday. In an overtime loss to the Colts, Bowman, an every-down player since 2011, played 58 of 76 snaps and was spelled by Brock Coyle for two series.