The return of Aldon Smith meant an increased amount of rotation at outside linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and that wasn't appreciated by Ahmad Brooks. So much so that the Pro Bowler decided not to participate in the second half of a victory over the New York Giants and reportedly benched himself instead.
49ers LB Ahmad Brooks benches himself vs. Giants
Ahmad Brooks benched himself Sunday because he was unhappy with the rotation that occurred with the return of Aldon Smith.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Brooks, 30, is an eight-year NFL veteran and has started 58 consecutive games for the 49ers since taking over as a full-time starter in 2011. During Smith's absence due to suspension, Brooks took the large majority of snaps on one side while Aaron Lynch, Dan Skuta and Corey Lemonier worked in rotation on the opposite. Upon Smith's return, the rotation continued and that meant less snaps for Brooks which, evidently, wasn't appreciated by the veteran.
Neither Brooks nor 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh directly commented on the situation after the game, although Harbaugh admitted the team is “working through something” with Brooks.
Even before Week 11 though, there was reason to believe that tension existed between the 49ers and Brooks, as a trade that would have sent the outside linebacker to the Cleveland Browns came close to happening. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported a deal between the two teams was discussed before the trade deadline, but the 49ers backed out of the discussions late and elected instead to keep Brooks.
Harbaugh spoke briefly about Brooks Sunday and said he “wholeheartedly” believes the team needs the eight-year veteran to win a championship. Regardless, the 49ers have a problem on their hands now, and one of the possible solutions is to release Brooks, said David Fucillo of SB Nation’s Niners Nation:
The question now is what the heck happens next. The team cannot trade Brooks with the trade deadline well past us. The team could release him, but he remains valuable even in reserve. Of course, if he is pissed off and causing problems in the locker room, there might be more value in releasing him. Ideally, the team gets through the season and then either releases or trades him. But if there will be problems, they might just decide to part ways.
Brooks is due to have a cap number of $9,648,750 in 2015. There is zero chance he is on the roster with that cap number. Either he re-negotiates, or the team cuts or trades him. My guess is the team ends up cutting him. I suppose they could just elect to do that now, but I don’t think they want Brooks on the market for a playoff contender to add him. But can they put up with him complaining about playing time?
Brooks has a team-leading four sacks through 10 games for the 49ers. Rookie Aaron Lynch has tallied three and worked his way into the starting lineup before the conclusion of Smith’s suspension.
★★★
See More:
