While many were focused on the fact that the San Francisco 49ers recently managed to acquire former Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams, another veteran blocker and Bay Area staple in Joe Staley called it quits. Right before the 2020 NFL Draft officially got underway this past weekend, Staley informed the 49ers that he would be retiring from professional football.

Spending his entire 13-season NFL playing career as a member of the 49ers, Staley has since opened up about his decision to retire.

“It's a happy and sad day,” Staley said this week, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. “Obviously, I did not want to quit playing football. I still have a huge love for it. It's going to be a weird transition going into retirement because it wasn't a thing where I was like ‘All right, this is going to be my last year, I'm going to be done.' But it was just the right decision for me so I think because of that, it was really hard for me… It's what needed to happen. Football is what I know and what I loved since I was a little kid.”

The 35-year-old offensive tackle will definitely go out on top as the 49ers just missed out on winning the Super Bowl last season. However, San Francisco did manage to win the NFC West division, and NFC as a whole with Staley even left his now-former franchise in good shape to do it all again.

A six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, Staley was originally selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan.