SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Former Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis is no longer a 49er.
In a move that was rumored over the weekend, the 49ers traded the 10-year veteran, the longest-tenured player on the team, to the Denver Broncos on Monday for late-round draft picks.
The move will reportedly send Davis to the unbeaten Broncos for a sixth-round pick in 2017. The 49ers and Broncos will also swap sixth and seventh round picks in 2016, with the 49ers receiving the higher pick. Both teams confirmed the trade but did not disclose the terms.
“He’ll be a valuable addition to our team with his experience and leadership,” tweeted Broncos general manager John Elway.
“On behalf of the entire 49ers organization, I would like to thank Vernon for his decade of contributions to this team and our community,” general manager Trent Baalke said in a prepared statement. “Not only has he contributed to some of the most memorable moments in franchise history, but he has also positively impacted the lives of many others through his efforts in the community. We wish Vernon and his family continued success in both football and life.”
Davis caught six passes for 24 yards in the team’s loss to the St. Louis Rams on Sunday, then responded to the swirling trade rumors.
“It’s a possibility,” Davis said of getting traded. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. Regardless of what happens to me or anyone on this team, everything is going to work out in our favor. … I’m always prepared for anything. Nothing really surprises me.”
Davis had to answer to reports last week that he had recent run-ins with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and left tackle Joe Staley. He disputed that he called out Kaepernick during a players-only meeting and contradicted reports he and Staley got into an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation.
“No, I didn’t call Kap out,” Davis said last Thursday. “I don’t know where you got that from. I didn’t call Kap out at all.
“It’s not my job or my role, to call Kap out. I let coaches do that. We’re all together. There’s nothing that can separate any of us. We’re inseparable, I would think.”
Davis, 31, whose contract expires after this season, has seen his production as a receiver drop dramatically over the past two seasons. He has caught just 18 passes for 194 yards this season and does not have a touchdown. In fact, he has not caught a touchdown pass since Week 1 of the 2014 season against Dallas, when he hooked up with quarterback Colin Kaepernick for two scores.
It was a dramatic drop from Davis’ 2013 season, when the former first-round pick out of Maryland (sixth overall in 2006) caught 52 passes for 850 yards and 13 touchdowns, which earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl. He also made the Pro Bowl in 2009 after a career-best 78 receptions for 965 yards and 13 scores. For his career with the 49ers, Davis caught 441 passes for 5,640 yards and 55 touchdowns.
If Davis takes the field for Denver against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, he’ll play against his younger brother Vontae Davis, who posted the following message on Twitter: “See you on Sunday, bro @VernonDavis85!”
Darnell Dockett, who was briefly Davis’ teammate through training camp before being waived, also tweeted at Davis:
“Congrats to @VernonDavis85 I know u happy! … I bet you doing the nae nae at home!”
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