Ford (back) was not seen at San Francisco's OTA sessions Tuesday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Ford dealt with back injuries in 2021 that limited him to just six games played before being sidelined in late October and missing the remainder of the season. The eighth-year defensive end has appeared in just seven games over the past two seasons for the 49ers, so his absence from any on-field drills Tuesday is not an encouraging sign for his long-term health. Ford is entering the final season of his contract with San Francisco and the remarks on his health by general manager John Lynch in late March seem to indicate that the team may ultimately choose to part ways before the start of the regular season.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Won't return in 2021
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that Ford (back) won't return in 2021, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Ford had been sidelined since late October, and he didn't show significant progress in his recovery from a back injury recently. The 30-year-old appeared in six games during the 2021 campaign and totaled five tackles (three solo), three sacks and a forced fumble.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Designated to return
Rotowire
Ford (back) was designated to return from injured reserve Thursday.
Ford landed on injured reserve in early November and is eligible to return to game action as early as Sunday against the Vikings. While it's not yet clear whether he'll be available in Week 12, he'll rejoin the 49ers for practice this week and will need to be activated within 21 days if he hopes to play again this year.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Questionable for Sunday
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Ford (back) is questionable Sunday against the Cardinals, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Ford suffered a concussion in Week 8 against the Bears and cleared protocols, but he is also dealing with a back injury. If Ford is unable to play, Jordan Willis will look to take on a share of his snaps.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Ruled out for Sunday
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Ford (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Bears, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
Ford suffered the injury in Week 7 and was unable to clear the concussion protocol in time to give it a go against Chicago. Jordan Willis is likely to return from suspension for the game and will likely absorb those extra snaps.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Records two sacks in loss
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Ford registered three tackles (two solo), two sacks and one forced fumble during Sunday's 28-21 loss to the Seahawks.
Ford failed to get into the stat sheet the previous two weeks, but he bounced back in a big way Sunday. The 30-year-old has played a limited role for San Francisco's defense through the first four weeks of the season, but his breakout performance against Seattle may earn him some more snaps.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Taken off injury report
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Ford was a full participant during Friday's practice, and the 49ers removed him from their injury report ahead of Sunday's contest against the Eagles, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Ford picked up a minor ankle injury against the Lions, but he appears good to go for Week 2. The 30-year-old defensive end played 30 snaps and registered one sack in Week 1.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Could be ready for camp
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday he's keeping his "fingers crossed" that Ford (neck) will be ready for the start of training camp in late July, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.
The 30-year-old came out of last year's season opener with a neck injury and missed the rest of the year, but he's apparently made significant progress in his recovery in the months since. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Ford has been working out at the team facility since February, but he'll be away from the team this week during OTAs while visiting a back specialist.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Restructures deal
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Ford (neck) agreed to restructure his contract into a two-year, $24 million deal Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Ford's health issues have limited him to just 12 games over the last two seasons (one game in 2020), so it's a given that he'd need to agree to a restructure in order to remain in San Francisco. He'll focus on fully recovering from his neck injury this offseason while hoping to bounce back during the 2021 campaign.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Candidate for injured reserve
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said he'll decide whether to put Ford (back) on injured reserve within the next couple days, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The 29-year-old has missed the past two games with the back issues, and it appears he isn't particularly close to being game ready. Ford would be sidelined for at least three weeks if placed on injured reserve, and he's unlikely to play Week 4 even if the team opts not to make the move.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Unavailable against Jets
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Ford (neck) has been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Jets, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Ford was unable to practice Thursday or Friday, and although he entered the weekend questionable, he's ultimately been deemed unfit to play. The 49ers' DE depth will take a hit, as Kerry Hyder -- who logged 33 snaps in Week 1 -- will be the primary backup to Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead on Sunday.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Questionable for Week 2
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Ford (neck) is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets, Cam Inman of The Mercury News reports.
Ford will be a game-time call for the battle of the league's two most injury-riddled teams. The decorated pass rusher failed to get to Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in Week 1, but Ford should find more success against an underwhelming Jets offensive line if he suits up.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Status for Week 2 uncertain
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Ford had an MRI on Thursday after missing practice due to a stiff neck, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
General manager John Lynch said Friday on KNBR that Ford's status for Sunday's game against the Jets will be unclear until the 49ers receive word on his test results. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh previously downplayed the severity of Ford's issue, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, but at this point the possibility of the veteran pass rusher being forced to miss time can't be ruled out.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Limited on estimate
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Ford (quadriceps/hamstring) was listed as limited on Wednesday's estimated injury report, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Ford managed to avoid an injury designation for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Green Bay, so there's reason to suspect that his limitations are mostly precautionary. Assuming he avoids a setback in the next two weeks, the 28-year-old can be considered on track to play his usual role as a pass-rush specialist in the Super Bowl.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Clear of injury designation
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Ford (quadriceps/hamstring) won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Green Bay.
Ford began the week not practicing due to the quadriceps and hamstring injuries, but he was able to progress to full participation Friday and avoid the questionable tag. The 28-year-old had a sack last week against the Vikings in his first game action since Week 14 and should serve in his usual role as a pass-rush specialist this weekend.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Still not practicing
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Ford (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Ford has missed two consecutive games with a hamstring injury. He'll probably need to return to the field Thursday or Friday in order to have any chance of playing in Sunday's game against the Seahawks.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Won't play Saturday
Rotowire
Ford (quadriceps) has been ruled out of Saturday's game against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Ford was unable to practice this week and will therefore miss what is essentially a fifth consecutive game with the injury. The 28-year-old will likely need to get some practice in next week in order to suit up against Seattle in Week 17.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Unfit to practice
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Ford (hamstring) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Ford missed consecutive practices, and it's increasingly unlikely he's ready to go by Saturday's game against the Rams. When Ford's in the lineup, he's a disruptive threat with 6.5 sacks over 11 games despite averaging just 21 defensive snaps per contest. During Ford's absence, Solomon Thomas was afforded an increase in usage and figures to retain the role if Ford can't go again.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Does not practice Tuesday
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Ford (hamstring) was unable to practice Tuesday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
The 49ers merely held a walk-through Tuesday, but it's not a good sign that Ford is still sidelined. He'll most likely need to get on the practice field in at least a limited capacity this week in order to suit up against the Rams.
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49ers' Dee Ford: Aggravates injury
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Ford (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Saints, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
It's unclear if it's the same hamstring injury that forced Ford to miss the last two games, but he left the game late in the first quarter. As long as Ford is sidelined, Solomon Thomas and Jeremiah Valoaga stand to see an uptick in snaps.
