Joe Staley has not told the 49ers he is retiring, so General Manager John Lynch said Monday he expects the left tackle back for a 14th season.
“We’ve kept in good contact with Joe,” Lynch said on a video conference call Monday with the team’s beat writers, via Matt Maiocco of NBCSportsBayArea.com. “He’s doing his typical routine down with his family in San Diego working out. We’re encouraged. We’ve heard nothing that would lead us to believe that Joe is not going to play. So we’re encouraged with that. We’ll see where that goes.
“That is something with each and every player, particularly as they get closer, you give them that time that they need. But we are encouraged that Joe will be a part of us, moving forward.”
Staley has not addressed his future publicly since the 49ers’ season ended with a loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV.
Staley, who turns 36 in August, signed a two-year extension through the 2021 season last June. He has started 181 of a possible 208 regular-season games in his career.
The 49ers, though, could look to draft Staley’s eventual successor this week.