Rice Envisions Future Beyond San Francisco

S A N T A  C L A R A, Calif., Sept. 20 -- It’s hard to imagine Jerry Ricewearing any uniform but the one in which he set every significantNFL receiving record and won three Super Bowls.

Rice, however, can imagine it.

Rice doesn’t plan to retire after this season, and his desire to give the San Francisco 49ers’ young receivers freedom to develop means he is likely to play elsewhere next year.

Best Catcher to Play the Game

“I wanted to finish my career here, but the way it’s going now, it looks like it isn’t going to happen,” Rice said Monday.

Rice holds 14 NFL records and is generally considered the bestpass-catcher ever to play the game. At the 49ers’ practice facility after San Francisco returned home from a 41-24 loss to St. Louis, Rice said he won’t retire after this, his 16th season with the 49ers.

“J.J. (Stokes), Terrell (Owens), Tai Streets, those guysdeserve the opportunity I had,” Rice said. “I’m not going to retire, because I still feel like I can play football, but I don’t want to hold those guys back. … This organization has been good to me.”

Rice was an integral part of three championship-winning teams inSan Francisco, catching passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young as the 49ers’ dynasty reached its height in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

After catching three passes for 44 yards against the Rams, Ricehas 1,217 career receptions for 18,567 yards and 168 touchdowns.

Rice agreed to a restructured, incentive-laden five-year, $31million contract in June that keeps him under contract to SanFrancisco through 2004. At the time, Rice said the opportunity tostay with the 49ers was “the most important thing. This is where I wanted to finish my career.”

Rice, who turns 38 next month, said he has spoken to his agent,Jim Steiner, about playing for another team next season. Steinerdid not return a phone call Monday.

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