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Friday's Niners Daily looks at recent comments from San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree as he approaches his last game under contract with the team.*
Full disclosure: I'm partial to being pro-Crabtree. That's because I had a chance to get to know "The Real Michael Crabtree" last offseason.
The fact that "Crab" is approaching his final game under contract is not lost on me. I've enjoyed his large on-field sneaker collection. I've appreciated his relentless passion for being a "football player."
I also particularly took pride in watching him throw caution to the wind two weekends ago when he was aggressively trying to block Seattle's secondary to open running lanes for his close friend, Frank Gore.
Will Crabtree continue to be a "football player" for the 49ers in 2015 and beyond?
Who knows at this point.
We only know this: Crabtree will play on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. He'll play hard. And, he might be finishing out his 49ers career.
"I feel like the sky is the limit for me," said the sixth-year pro, who is set to be a free agent. "I'm just taking it one day at a time. I can't wait to see what's next, the next chapter in my career. I'm going to go hard every day. I'm going to go hard every year and just try to maximize my talent."
Crabtree has caught a pass in every regular season game of his NFL career. He hauled in a 5-yard pass in overtime last week against the San Diego Chargers to keep his 78-game streak alive.
In those games, Crabtree has 343 receptions for 4,286 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns.
"I still feel young," he said when asked if he felt like a veteran. "I'm 27. I've probably played like five seasons in a six-year contract, so I feel great."
Crabtree acknowledged that the 49ers are "short on receivers" heading into Sunday's finale against the Cardinals. Both Bruce Ellington and Brandon Lloyd suffered injuries last week. With their playing time unknown, Crabtree could be in line for a big role against his old rivals.
"We've been fighting for years," Crabtree said. "It's been fun."
