San Francisco 49ers cornerback Eric Wright announces retirement
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Eric Wright is retiring from the NFL and will file his retirement papers shortly, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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Wright did not show up at the team’s minicamp, but this wasn’t a move to get a new contract, rather head coach Jim Harbaugh said the player was considering walking away from the game at the age of 28.
The 49ers signed Wright to a one-year contract in early March worth $855,000 and according to OverTheCap.com, Wright has a 2014 cap figure of $590,000.
Prior to announcing his retirement, Wright would have been competing with Perrish Cox and Chris Cook for playing time and there would have been no guarantee he would have remained on the roster if one or both of them beat him out for playing time in the team’s secondary.
Wright appeared in seven games last season and only recorded seven tackles.and one interception in his first and only season with San Francisco. The 49ers initially traded for the veteran defensive back from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but a failed physical voided the deal. He was later waiver and signed by the 49ers.
Wright was the 53rd overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns out of UNLV and started 55 games over four seasons while making nine interceptions from his left cornerback position.
He later played one season for the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay before arriving in San Francisco.
The 49ers made a concerted effort to upgrade their secondary in this year’s draft, including first round pick Jimmy Ward out of Northern Illinois to help at safety and at the nickel corner, so the loss of Wright should not be a significant loss for the team who has played in the last three NFC Championship Game.