The Denver Broncos edged out the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday to advance to the AFC Championship Game. They will face the New England Patriots, and one player unlikely to see much time is tight end Vernon Davis. The former San Francisco 49ers tight end played one snap against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since playing 42 snaps in Week 15, he played five snaps in Week 16, and then six snaps in Week 17.
It is safe to say the 49ers trade of Vernon Davis worked out pretty well. The 49ers dealt Davis and a seventh round pick for the Broncos sixth round picks in 2016 and 2017. The 2016 pick will be between No. 29 and No. 32 depending on when the Broncos are eliminated. Given how this has played out, and what Davis' football future (or lack thereof) looks like, the 49ers could not really have done much better in the trade.
Davis is a free agent this offseason, and it is safe to say he will not be returning to the Broncos in 2016. He obviously entered a new offense midseason, and the team dealt with some QB issues, but he has been on the downswing the last two seasons.
It is going to be interesting to see if he lands somewhere on a cheap deal, or if maybe he calls it a career and turns to his other interests. I suspect somebody out there would give him a small contract, but I don't see there being a ton of interest. Veterans are getting squeezed out due in part to the cheaper rookie contracts. Vernon Davis has reached a point where there is not enough value to get him at the veteran minimum over a player in his first few years.