The San Francisco 49ers officially released defensive end Dee Ford (back) on Wednesday. Ford has been bothered by a back injury since last year and wasn't able to take part in offseason practices in organized team activities or mandatory minicamp last month, leading to his release. The 31-year-old pass-rusher had 6.5 sacks in his first year with the team in 2019 before notching only three sacks in seven combined games the last two seasons due to injuries. He was originally a first-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014 out of Auburn, and Ford totaled 30.5 sacks in his five seasons with the Chiefs before the Niners traded for him. Ford will need to get healthy if he wants to continue his career with another team.
The San Francisco 49ers don't plan on retaining defensive end Dee Ford (back) for the 2022 season. "I don't see a lot of hope with him being a factor for us on the field moving forward," general manager John Lynch said. Ford continues to rehab a chronic back injury. He was acquired in a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, and the Niners signed him to a five-year, $85 million contract to complete the deal. But the 31-year-old has played in just 18 regular season games in the last three years and suffered a back injury last October that eventually shut him down for good in mid-December. By releasing the veteran pass-rusher after June 1, the 49ers could save an extra $1.12 million against the 2022 salary cap.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that defensive end Dee Ford (back) will not be activated from Injured Reserve and won't return for the rest of the 2021 season. The 30-year-old has been sidelined since late October. He'll finish the season with five tackles (three solo), three sacks and a forced fumble in just six games played. Ford's persistent back issues have plagued him for much of his career. Shanahan said the team won't release Ford this season, but it seems increasingly likely that he's played his final snaps with the team. It's also fair to wonder if Ford will be able to play again or if he'll consider retirement this offseason.
The San Francisco 49ers and linebacker Dee Ford agreed to a restructured two-year deal worth $24 million on Monday. If Ford had passed a physical on April 1, the 49ers could have shed him and most of his salary, but $11.6 million of his 2021 salary would have become guaranteed at that point if he was still injured. Ford was the 23rd overall pick in the first round out of Auburn by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2014. San Francisco traded a second-round pick for him in 2019, and he had 6.5 sacks during an injury plagued campaign. The 30-year-old played in just one game in 2020 before missing the rest of the season with neck and back ailments. Ford has 154 tackles, 37 sacks, seven passes defended and 11 forced fumbles in his seven NFL seasons.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (neck) will be placed on Injured Reserve with a neck issue. Ford suffered the injury in Week 1 and hasn't played since. It's unclear how long he'll be out, but he'll be forced to miss at least the next three weeks while on IR. San Francisco's defense has been hurt by injuries early in the 2020 season, most notably with the season-ending injury to star pass-rusher Nick Bosa (knee) in Week 2. Although the 49ers Defense doesn't have as much season-long upside now, they remain a strong starting unit for fantasy managers in a Week 4 matchup against an Eagles Defense that is injured and out of sorts right now.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (back) is expected to miss the Week 3 game against the Giants, and there's no clear timetable for his return, according to sources. It's more bad news for an injury riddled Niners team, as they also lost both pass-rushers Nick Bosa (knee) and Solomon Thomas (knee) for the entire season. Arik Armstead and rookie Javon Kinlaw will need to step up along the defensive line. The good news, however, is that they'll be facing a Giants team this Sunday that just lost star running back Saquon Barkley (knee) for the remainder of the season. The 49ers Defense may not have quite as much upside with Bosa out now, but they'll remain a strong starting option this weekend against a beat up Giants offense.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (neck) is listed as questionable for Week 2 against the Jets. Ford didn't practice the last two days after dealing with some neck stiffness following the season-opening loss to the Cardinals. San Francisco placed cornerback Richard Sherman on the Injured Reserve this week, so they won't be at full strength against New York. Ford had just three combined tackles in Week 1. He should be avoided in IDP leagues because of his injury, but even at less than full strength, the 49ers Defense remains a must-start fantasy defense against a Jets team that will be missing both Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (knee) had "a pretty extensive cleanup" on his knee a couple weeks after the season and said that he feels great. Ford was limited during the 2019 season because of knee tendinitis and missed five games with a hamstring injury as well. The 29-year-old played just 22 percent of the defensive snaps in the regular season, according to Next Gen Stats, but saw that number increase to 53.2 percent in the playoffs. The pass-rusher had 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles during the regular season and added a sack and three tackles in the postseason. The former Chief has struggled with injuries in his career, but when healthy he can be a pass-rushing force. The Niners need him to be that in 2020 to help make up for DeForest Buckner's absence.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (hamstring) is listed as questionable for the Divisional Round against the Vikings. Linebacker Kwon Alexander is coming off Injured Reserve since tearing his pectoral muscle on Halloween and strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (ribs) will also return. Getting pass-rusher Ford back as well would be even more good news for a stacked 49ers Defense. The 28-year-old had 14 total tackles (10 solo), 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 11 games before his injury. His presence on Saturday would be bad news for Vikings signal-caller Kirk Cousins and the rest of the Minnesota offense on the road.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (hamstring) and linebacker Kwon Alexander (pectoral) are both expected to return for the Divisional Round game against the Vikings on Saturday. Ford missed the final six regular season games, while Alexander has been on the sidelines since Oct. 27. San Fran's defense has been one of the best in the league all year, so getting these two key players back will be huge and bad news for the Vikings offense. Ford had 14 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his 11 games before getting injured.
