49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said in June that he was “keeping my fingers crossed” about edge rusher Dee Ford coming back from last year’s back and neck injuries to be a productive player for the team.
Ford only played one game for the Niners in 2020 and General Manager John Lynch said on KNBR that Ford was always confident he’d be back, but that it “was hard for us to have that same confidence” in his ability to bounce back. Ford’s been practicing this summer and Lynch said that some of those doubts have been eased by what the team has seen from the veteran.
“We’ve been very encouraged,” Lynch said, via 49ersWebZone.com. “He’s been out there. We’re trying to be very judicious on how we bring him back. But he’s been super impactful when he’s been out there, and that’s always been the case with Dee, so we’ve just got to get him there. But he’s also got to train his body so he can go compete in a consistent manner and show up every week. Man, if he can do that, I’m really feeling, like 2019, in terms of this D-line … we think we’re going to be a force at that position. We’ve got to go do it but it’s starting to feel like 2019 where the mindset is going to be overwhelming quarterbacks, and that’s the great equalizer in a league that’s so set up for passing.”
Ford is not playing on Saturday as the 49ers continue to manage his workload with eyes on what they hope will be a longer regular season engagement for Ford.
49ers “very encouraged” by what they’ve seen from Dee Ford originally appeared on Pro Football Talk