San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Dee Ford recently sustained a back injury that has forced him to miss his team's 36-9 pummeling of the New York Giants on Week 3. This most recent injury has outlets now talking about Ford's potential retirement, which 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has addressed directly.
According to Shanahan, an early retirement for the injury-plagued Ford remains out of the question at the moment.
“It’s not being discussed,” Shanahan said, via Mike Florio of NBC Sports, “and I don’t want to say anything strong that people blow up, but it’s similar to what I said a couple of weeks ago. When you’re dealing with the back and things like that, everything’s a concern. Also, that stuff does loosen up just randomly, too. That’s why we’re playing it slow.”
Clearly, San Francisco is taking a cautious approach with Ford here. Earlier reports state that he has no firm timetable for a return, but that he could make a comeback on Week 7. Ford has only played in one game in the new campaign, taking part in the 49ers' 24-20 Week 1 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals.
Shanahan himself provided a vague update on his lineman's status moving forward, and even the coach remains hesitant to pinpoint an exact return date for Ford.
“I just saw him here a little bit in the hallway on my way here,” Shanahan added. “I think he’s doing better than he was a couple of weeks ago, that’s for sure. But, it’s something we’ve just got to be smart with and you can’t risk things when you’re dealing with that part of the body. So I wouldn’t get to saying all that stuff, but that’s why we’re being cautious with it.”
The 49ers will need to plan their next few matches without Ford, starting with a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4.
Follow Us
Subscribe