49ers RT Anthony Davis files for reinstatement after season-long retirement

Last June, San Francisco 49ers starting tackle Anthony Davis announced his retirement, saying he needed to allow his “brain and body a chance to heal.”

Davis’ retirement at age 25 now looks like more of a sabbatical, as the 2010 first-round pick said Monday he is returning to football.

After dropping hints of his return on social media, Davis made it official, tweeting Monday that he sent his official reinstatement letter to the NFL and the 49ers.

The 49ers own Davis’ rights, though he made a few disparaging comments about the franchise on social media earlier this year.

“I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do,” he tweeted in April before suggesting that San Francisco draft an offensive tackle in the top 10. Those tweets have now been deleted.

Davis’ announcement comes just six days before San Francisco starts its training camp under new head coach Chip Kelly. The 49ers are currently at their 90-man offseason limit and would have to release a player to make room for Davis, who started all 71 games he played for the club.

Earlier this summer, 49ers offensive line coach Pat Flaherty made it clear that nothing will be handed to the former starter.

“And he knows this, coming from me, if he wants to play, then he’s got to come back and prove he can play,” Flaherty told CSN Bay Area. “It’s got to come from within. You can tell him exactly what I just said, ‘Listen, you’ll have an opportunity to play. But that’s all it is. You decided for whatever reason to retire. If you come back in the game, nothing is going to be handed to you. You’re going to have to work your tail off.’”