I am willing to bet money this will officially go down as the most random transaction of the 2017 offseason. The NFL posted the Friday transaction notice, and San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee filed for reinstatement from the reserve/retired list, and was then waived by the 49ers.
The 49ers drafted Coffee in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, with the hope that he would become a solid complement to Frank Gore. Coffee rushed for 83 times for 226 yards in his rookie season, but then abruptly retired in August of 2010. He returned to school, and then in 2013 joined the Army. He graduated from the Army Airborne School, and then attended Ranger school. I have not seen an update since 2015 on his status.
I am not at all sure why Coffee unretired, but he will now go through the waivers process. The 49ers had placed him on the reserve/retired list when he filed his retirement paperwork in 2010. This meant they kept his contract rights if he were to return.
More than likely none of the other 31 teams will claim him, and he will become a free agent. There had been no word on him since 2015, so I am not entirely sure what led to this decision. Is he trying to make a comeback? Is it just a paperwork formality? Either way, it is certainly out of the blue.