Justin Smith considering return to the NFL

First it was Patrick Willis, now Justin Smith gets to join the bevy of rumors of returning after just one year of retirement. Mike Florio reported that a source within the NFL has said Smith would like to return to the league.

Just one problem: He doesn't want to play for the San Francisco 49ers. Go figure.

This makes an interesting situation if  true. The 49ers hold Smith's rights and if he decided to play again, he'd be contractually obligated to play for the organization. Obviously, the team could work up a trade and send him somewhere, but  that would require a team to give up something in return for a defensive player in their twilight that has been out of the league for a year. The other option would be to release him outright.

If there's any truth to this, we'll probably hear more since the whole thing was thrown around in Indianapolis at the NFL combine. Like Willis, I wouldn't be surprised if we hear from Justin Smith soon to debunk the rumor altogether. When he was on the field with the 49ers, Cowboy's presence was known.  Though his play regressed in his final season with the team, he still put decent numbers up.

I went ahead and attached a poll, but what do you think? You think Cowboy wants to come back? Do you think he can still play?