I think it’s safe to say that the brief union between Brandon Jacobs and the San Francisco 49ers last season, was a forgettable experience for both parties.
According to a story courtesy Dave Hutchinson of The Star Ledger, the recently-acquired New York Giants running back, said that he basically begged the Niners to release him when it became clear he wasn’t apart of their plans, but they refused for fear that he’d join another team and come back to haunt them.
“I didn’t think I was done because they didn’t want to release me,” Jacobs said today. “I was told point-blank, ‘Do I look like a fool? I release you and you’ll be with somebody else and come back and play against us? I felt good about it.
“I’m like, ‘I see, y’all scared of me. It’s cool. I’m alright. You know what? I had a great, great stay in San Francisco other than that (not playing). It was hard for me. It was even harder Week 6 (vs. Giants) when I had a chance to see everybody.”
While Jacobs is no longer the force he was a few seasons ago for the Giants, he’s still a 6-foot-4, 265-pounds beast of a running back, and it was clear that he was returning to his former team if released. So it made tactical sense for the 49ers to keep him and refrain from strengthening a NFC rival.