The start of the 49ers three-day minicamp had a notable absences of tight end Vernon Davis and guard Alex Boone. Both players are opting out of a $70K bonus in the hopes of forcing the hand of the 49ers GM to restructure their contracts and give them more money. Coach Jim Harbaugh had to bite his tongue during voluntary workouts when both players were absent, but now it’s open season for him to voice his opinion on players missing mandatory workouts.
“I’m disappointed in that decision for them not to be here,” Harbaugh said Tuesday, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “As a voluntary segment to the offseason and we appreciate those guys volunteering to make the team better. Now, it’s mandatory and wish they could’ve . . . [it’s] not the decision I envision being the 49er way.”
Both Davis and Boone have the option of holding out for as long as they see fit, but in the past, we’ve seen that hold outs generally lead to injuries if and when the player decides to come back. Neither side seems to be budging on the issue, so it remains to be seen what will happen to the team if both players, especially Davis, extend their hold outs longer than through training camp.
[h/t NBC Sports]
