All the way back: 49ers give LB NaVorro Bowman a big deal

A year ago, nobody could be sure if San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman would ever play at a Pro Bowl level again. As it turned out, he was even better.

Bowman was a first-team All-Pro last season, completing an incredible comeback from a gruesome knee injury that wiped out his entire 2014 season. And on Wednesday the 49ers gave Bowman a four-year extension worth $44 million, with $20 million guaranteed according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bowman is now signed for seven more seasons.

It was a reward to the best player on the roster. Bowman signed an extension in 2012 that ran through 2018. The deal had three years and $23.55 million in salary and bonuses remaining, according to CSN Bay Area. There was no urgency to rework Bowman’s deal. But the 49ers wanted to tack on another four years.

Bowman was one of the best middle linebackers in football, making three All-Pro first teams, before injuring his knee. Bowman suffered horrible knee injury in the NFC championship game against the Seattle Seahawks at the end of the 2013 season. He never played a game in the 2014 season.

By the end of last season, the injury was a distant memory. He finished the season with 154 tackles and was the bright spot in a bad 49ers season.

Bowman might not see the end of the contract. He’ll be 34 years old in 2022. But what mattered most to the 49ers was sending a message that they wanted to take care of their best player.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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