Grant Cohn: 49ers must deal with yet another Anthony Davis headache

Less than a year after he ditched the 49ers just before mandatory minicamp, Anthony Davis ditched his team again.

First, some background. Last June, more than a month after the Niners could have replaced him in the draft, Davis retired. Just walked away from his teammates and coaches. He was only 25. He said he needed to give his “Brain and Body time to heal and recoup.” Actually, he tweeted that. He's a big tweeter. He also tweeted, “I'll be back in a year or so.”

Before Davis can come back, he has to file for reinstatement with the league. He could have filed on March 9 as soon as the league year began, but didn't. He let almost a month pass while the Niners wondered what he would do.

On Friday, just three days before the start of the Niners' offseason workout program, Davis ended the mystery. But, he didn't file for reinstatement. No, he tweeted again: “I'll be filing for reinstatement to the NFL later this year. Dealing with Trent is giving me a headache.”

That tweet is chock full of info. He isn't filing for reinstatement now. He says he'll file later, but he doesn't exactly have a good filing history. So who knows? And Trent is giving the poor guy a headache.

Davis seems to be referring to Trent Baalke, the 49ers general manager, as if Baalke is the reason Davis hasn't filed yet. As if Davis WOULD have filed by now, and really does want to return to the team as soon as possible, and can't wait to attend all the offseason workouts he skipped last year, but Baalke is holding up the process in some mysterious way. As if Baalke is the bad guy. Baalke isn't the problem. Davis is his own problem. Well, he has several problems. Here are the top-five problems with Davis' tweet.

No. 1. It's disingenuous. Dealing with Baalke couldn't possibly give Davis a headache because Davis doesn't deal with Baalke. Davis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, deals with Baalke. Davis is not involved.

Problem No. 2. None of these negotiations should be public.

Let's say Rosenhaus and Baalke have a serious disagreement. Let's say Rosenhaus wants Baalke to pay back the $2 million in bonus money Davis forfeited last season, but Baalke refuses. That type of disagreement happens all the time in the NFL. Or let's say it's something else.

No matter what the issue is, Davis should have kept it in house. That's his role. Just stay quiet and let Rosenhaus and Baalke negotiate. They are professional negotiators. They have plenty of experience ­- they don't need Davis' help. His help isn't helpful.

Problem No. 3. Davis is taking a shot at a man who isn't guilty. What did Baalke do wrong? He didn't desert his team - Davis did. Why should Baalke trust him now, especially since he hasn't made one move toward reinstatement? And why should Baalke go easy on him? I'd be hard on Davis if I were the Niners general manager.

It's one thing not to play for a year - it's another thing to quit in June like Davis did. His team was counting on him, and he sabotaged its season. Baalke has every right to hold a grudge and make things tough on Davis.

Problem No. 4. Davis seems to be avoiding OTAs, minicamp and training camp for the second year in a row.

Davis probably wants to return for the regular season. Probably misses the glamor and excitement of playing on Sundays. Probably misses the money. But, does he miss the parts of football that aren't glamorous?

Football mostly isn't glamorous. It's pain. Pain from long summer days under the hot sun when no fans are around. Pain from battling teammates every day, sometimes inferior teammates who fight as hard as possible just to make the roster. Does Davis love that part of football? Does he love the bruises and the soreness? Does he love to compete? Does he really love the sport? You have to wonder.

Problem No. 5. Davis seems to be making light of the reason he retired in the first place. Remember, he said his brain needed a year to recover from concussion symptoms. Now, he's saying Baalke is giving him a “headache.”

Sounds like Davis likes invoking head trauma when it suits him. Sounds like he's using his injury as leverage, as if he won't fully recover unless Baalke gives him everything he wants. As if anything less than total cooperation will jeopardize Davis' mental health.

That's world-class manipulation from a former world-class right tackle. Time for Davis to commit to the Niners or get lost permanently. This never-ending reinstatement has gone on long enough.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the “Inside the 49ers” blog for The Press Democrat's website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.