49ers TE Vernon Davis Denies Locker Room Friction
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - 49ers tight end Vernon Davis isn't concerned about his team's locker room despite a 2-5 start to the season that included a team-wide meeting following an Oct. 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Davis on Thursday also refuted a media report that he and left tackle Joe Staley got into a locker room altercation earlier in the season.
"I don't know where that's coming from," Davis said. "That's funny to me."
Davis and Staley are two of the longest-tenured players on the roster, having joined the team in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
"(Staley) is like a brother to me," Davis said. "We've argued in the past. My first year, we came here, we got into it. Got into it right then. Then seconds later, we were laughing and hanging out and drinking sodas together."
Davis, 31, missed two games following a knee injury in a Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. After struggling since early last season, he led San Francisco in receiving in the Oct. 22 loss to the Seahawks by making four catches for 61 yards. For the season, Davis has 12 receptions for 170 yards in five games. He hasn't scored a touchdown since the 2014 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, when he had two.
"I have a great relationship with Vernon," quarterback Colin Kaepernick said. "We've constantly had talks since I started playing. It's something that we both want to do what's best for this team and we're both trying to win. That's where some of the frustrations come from. We're trying to fix the losing streak that we have been on."
Heading into Sunday's game in St. Louis, San Francisco has the league's lowest-rated offense in both scoring and yardage, fueling speculation about major changes coming next season. Davis is in the final year of his contract.
Head coach Jim Tomsula this week confirmed the meeting following the loss to Green Bay that put the 49ers at 1-3. He said the emphasis was on improving communication.
Davis said: "It was very beneficial. Because you get a chance to get anything off your chest. ... I thought it was done the right way. I think everyone did a good job as far as controlling their emotions and doing things the way it's supposed to be done."
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