The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with their fair share of injuries going into the 2019 NFL season. They have suffered another setback with safety Jimmie Ward.

Ward suffered a fractured finger in practice. According to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, he is now doubtful for Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Ward broke his finger in Wednesday’s practice. The injury casts doubt on his availability for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

Despite the loss of Ward, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is confident that safety Tarvarious Moore will be able to step up as the starter just in case.

“T-Moore has been doing a great job and showed he’s earned the right to go out there and play,” Saleh said.

The prospect of Ward having to miss sit out against Tampa Bay is hardly an ideal start to the season opener. Regardless, it is clear that they were weighing out all options leading up to Week 1.

Ward is certainly no stranger to dealing with injuries. He missed a solid chunk of training camp and the preseason while recovering from a broken collarbone. It should also be noted that the 28-year-old has only played one season where he did not end up on injured reserve throughout his five-year career.

Although Ward's durability leaves much to be desired, it is clear that he is still viewed as an integral piece of this defense by Saleh. It will be interesting to see if his status changes in the days leading up to the 49ers matchup against the Bucs.