Sack artist Elvis Dumervil, 34, whom the 49ers had not ruled out re-signing this season, announced his retirement from the NFL in a statement released Thursday morning.
“After spending a great deal of time talking to my family and prayerfully considering what’s next in my career, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the NFL at this time,” Dumervil wrote. “It’s been an incredible 12-year run.”
Dumervil spent his final season with the 49ers and led the team with 6 ½ sacks. The 49ers declined to pick up the $3.5 million option on his contract in March, making him a free agent. Dumervil was scheduled to earn $2.75 million in salary with another $750,000 available in a roster bonus.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Recently, coach Kyle Shanahan said Dumervil was a player he and 49ers general manager John Lynch would be open to bringing back if the 49ers believed he could help their pass rush.
“Elvis is a guy I have a lot of confidence in,” Shanahan said on Aug. 19. “He did a great job for us last year. If we felt that was the right opportunity at the end of this, Elvis is a guy John and I wouldn’t hesitate to reach out to.”
Dumervil, who also played for Denver and Baltimore, thanked each of his former teams in his statement.
“During my time with the 49ers last season, I accomplished two career milestones that I will cherish forever,” Dumervil said. “So I thank them for that opportunity.”
San Francisco 49ers
Dumervil had 99 career sacks when he signed with the 49ers before last season. He eclipsed the 100-sack mark and finished his career with 105.5 sacks, ranking 26th since the sack became an official NFL statistic.
And when he sacked Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky late last season, he became one of just four active players to sack 50 different quarterbacks.
He appeared in 162 games in his career, was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection.
“My body still feels great, and I know I can still help a team win,” Dumervil said. “I will miss being on the field, particularly on Sundays. But I also have a wife and two young children who need me and a real estate business that I can now turn my attention to full-time.”