San Francisco 49ers defensive back Antoine Bethea has admitted that he was taken aback by the decisions of linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retire from the NFL.
Willis called time on his career after struggling with a foot injury, while Borland chose to end his time in the league due to his fears over the long-term health effects of head trauma.
The 30-year-old feels that the team have lost two quality players, but is confident that their replacements will fill the void in the middle of the defense.
"It was definitely a surprise," Bethea told reporters. "But, like Vernon [Davis] said, it put everything into perspective. This game is short-lived and you've got to put everything into it while you're playing this game.
"Two great players. Chris Borland came on strong for us towards the end of the year, but we've got to keep it rolling. I'm pretty sure we're going to have guys that are going to step in and play some great football for us."
The 49ers missed the playoffs for the first time in three years last season as they finished with an 8-8 record.
Simon Sinclair
