Although All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis plans to walk away from the game after eight seasons, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Justin Smith isn't prepared to make a retirement decision just yet.
"I'm going to decide by next week probably," Smith told the Sacramento Bee on Monday. "So you'll know by then. It's not 100 percent."
The 49erssigned Smith's potential replacement in veteran Darnell Dockett last week.
Although several reports since the end of the 2014 season -- including one from CSN Bay Area on Monday morning -- have stated that Smith intends to retire, the five-time Pro Bowl selection has been noncommittal all along.
Smith is scheduled to enter the final season of a three-year, $17.1 contract signed in June 2013. The 35-year-old has contemplated hanging up his spikes in previous seasons due to triceps, shoulder and back injuries.
Whether or not Smith follows Willis into retirement, the 49ers are transitioning from contender to rebuilder.
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