National Football League

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman Says It Was 'Tough' to Watch 49ers in 2016

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:09 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Fansided, Peter Panacy/FanSided via Niner Noise

Injured linebacker NaVorro Bowman recently commented on how difficult it was to watch the San Francisco 49ers and their struggles over the course of 2016.

The 2016 season didn’t go so well for perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who saw his year cut short due to a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Standing on the sideline for the rest of the year, Bowman witnessed his Niners go 2-14 and finish with the league’s worst run defense and worst defense overall.

“It’s been tough because I started off with these guys,” Bowman said, via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. “For me to go down and for things to continue to go down and not pick up, it’s been tough for me to watch.

“Part of that is, I put that on me, because guys look at me as a person to handle certain things and get us on the right pace out there. Hopefully we’re going get out of this slump and get back to 49er football.”

More from Niner Noise

Bowman is the unquestioned leader behind San Francisco’s defense. And it’s likely he’ll be a major linchpin in the 49ers’ much-needed defensive rebuild this offseason.

Part of that rebuild hinges on Bowman’s full recovery. Not three years after his gruesome knee injury, suffered in the 2014 NFC Championship game, Bowman’s Achilles tear creates another slew of concerns.

“I’ve started running in the pool and things like that,” Bowman said, via Eric Branch of SFGate.com. “But not yet full speed on the field. It’s looking good.”

A healthy recovery is almost mandatory for the Niners defense to get back to strength this season.

And we can only hope reaching 100 percent isn’t far off for the four-time All-Pro.

share

Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Football League

San Francisco 49ers