Monday March 9, 2015 A.K.A AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Monday March 9, 2015. I awoke on a day off with stuff to do, wondering whether the England cricket team had won  (HA!) and if anything had happened with my beloved 49ers overnight, little did I know what was about to transpire.

There was an annoying rumour about Colin Kaepernick being put on the trade block that appeared at least some legs but was quickly dismissed by the major national beat writers and general manager Trent Baalke.

Baalke's denial unsurprisingly fell on disbelieving ears following the saga surrounding the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh, but I think, with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles - the two rumoured suitors for Kaepernick - settled on Jay Cutler and Sam Bradford, there is little credence left to talk of the Niners' starting quarterback going elsewhere.

But rumours of Kaepernick's exit proved to be just the tip of the iceberg on one of the worst days in recent history for 49er fans who, on the back of learning that Frank Gore would not be returning to the team, were soon hit by news of inside linebacker Patrick Willis' retirement.

No-one saw this coming. Willis had been posting pictures of himself working out on social media and looked set to make a return having struggled with a toe injury for much of last season. A supposed 'religious awakening' was reported to have been the primary reason for his decision, but at an emotional press conference on Tuesday, it became clear that Willis is a player who simply does not feel he can perform at the same level going forward.

Chris Borland will likely slot in to take over from Willis and play next to NaVorro Bowman at inside linebacker following a stunning rookie season. Yet the fact 49ers have promising replacements for both Gore and Willis will be cold comfort for fans for whom the duo represented all that was good about the franchise, particularly in the dark times under Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary.

Throughout their time in San Francisco Gore and Willis displayed every quality you want in a leader, they consistently produced at an elite level on the field while displaying remarkable character, professionalism, determination and the respect for the game that all great players possess.

More than anything else it is those leadership qualities that the Niners will find toughest to replace, and they could yet lose more leadership experience should Justin Smith finally decide to call it a career. Smith was rumoured to have done so on Tuesday, but has since come out and insisted he has not made a final decision.

March 9 did not stop with the Willis retirement, though, it did not stop after the Smith rumours and it did not stop after it was pretty much confirmed that offensive lineman Mike Iupati would be leaving for pastures new, although that departure is one few should be crying about.

No March 9 had one last sour cherry to put on top of a frankly dreadful cake, with the news that fullback Bruce Miller had been arrested on domestic violence chargers. After months of bad PR, this was the last thing the 49ers needed, and the organisation has to handle it better than it did the Ray McDonald saga.

Miller is a well-liked veteran in the locker room and has often held the key to the Niners' running game. But, in a week where the 49ers have lost two of their, dare I say it, 'classiest' players, there needs to be a quick suspension handed down to Miller until the matter is resolved.

March 10 was a little better. The 49ers signed a receiver who should help their passing game quite considerably, but its too early to talk about that now. I think we all need some time to recover and regroup from the horror of March 9.