During the month of July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will determine which three players deserve to be considered the faces of each franchise. For this series, we will only consider active players. In this edition, the San Francisco 49ers are the focus.

Faces of the San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are an interesting team to choose three main faces. Last year, one could have easily argued the 49ers’ main faces were defensive end Justin Smith, linebacker Patrick Willis and running back Frank Gore. The first two retired while the latter is now in Indianapolis. Therefore, the 49ers will have completely new faces this year that are still recognizable, but not as much as these former three for 49er fans.

Colin Kaepernick

Remember when Colin Kaepernick burst onto the NFL scene when former 49er quarterback Alex Smith went down with an injury? Kaepernick’s dual-threat ability brought back visions of Michael Vick in Atlanta, yet Kaepernick had a better arm. He literally ran through the NFC playoff picture and led San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance, just falling short to the Baltimore Ravens. Kaepernick was the man, even having a Beats by Dre commercial made that featured him ignoring rival Seahawk fans on a bus.

Now? Kaepernick is the face of the franchise, but looked lost last season on the field. Whether it was a poor offensive line, too many plays in former head coach Jim Harbaugh’s system, or no downfield threat, Kaepernick simply couldn’t execute. He rarely made a read after his first one and didn’t use his legs often. As a result, the 49ers were very mediocre. Kaepernick is still very young and is signed for a long time. I expect improvement out of the young man this year, who according to sources has been working extremely hard this offseason to return to his previous form.

Vernon Davis

Vernon Davis is another 49er who was a star during their three-year stretch of NFC championship games. The tight end has great speed and hands but disappeared on the field last year. He had his worst season statistically since his rookie year, only recording 20 catches for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Davis is now 31 and may be past his prime, but he is still a key member of this team. Every 49er fan remembers his touchdown catch to beat New Orleans with nine seconds left in the 2012 NFC Divisional round to give San Francisco their first playoff win since 2002. Davis will remain one of the better athletes on the field this year, and if new coach Jim Tomsula can get him more involved, Davis will be dangerous once again.

NaVorro Bowman

Bowman and Patrick Willis were the best inside linebacker combination in football. No questions asked. They made every tackle, were team leaders, and helped invent the physical 49er defense. These two were supposed to lead the this unit for many years to come.

Then late in the fourth quarter of the NFC championship game against Seattle in 2014, Bowman tore his ACL and was forced to miss all of the 2014-2015 season. Willis also missed most of last year with injuries as well. Now Willis has retired and Bowman is set to come back and try to reinvent the defense. Bowman is a leader and a great player, but will he be the same player he once was? ACL injuries can be deadly, but the 49er faithful are hoping their former star will return healthy.

Honorable Mention: Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith is a very talented player and one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, but do the 49ers want him to become a face of their franchise? Smith had a DUI in 2012, received stab wounds in a fight in 2012, was involved in a vehicle crash and was in possession of marijuana in 2013 and was uncooperative in an airport with TSA agents in 2014. He was suspended nine games last season.

However, Smith is a great player on the field. He recorded eight or more sacks in his first three seasons in the NFL (including 19.5 in 2012) before only playing in seven games last year. He is one of the best players on the 49er defense now and should have a dominant year next season as long as he stays out of trouble.

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