49ers To Place Dee Ford On IR

The 49ers will place edge rusher Dee Ford on injured reserve this week, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan (Twitter link via NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco). With that, Ford will be held out for a minimum of three games.

Ford played 46 snaps in the 49ers’ Week 1 loss to the Cardinals, but back issues have kept him out ever since. As it turns out, the Niners didn’t need much help against the Jets and Giants, drumming New York’s teams with ease in Weeks 2 and 3. Still, it’s another frustrating setback for both Ford and the Niners. The 29-year-old registered 6.5 sacks last year despite missing five games, and he was said to be looking sharp after offseason knee surgery.

The 49ers sent a second-round draft pick to the Chiefs in 2019 to acquire Ford in a tag-and-trade deal. The impressive edge rusher managed 13 sacks for Kansas City in 2018, but his five-year, $85MM contract has yet to really pay off for John Lynch & Co. Even when he did suit up last year, Ford had to be restricted by a pitch count, putting him on the field for just 22% of SF’s defensive snaps.

The 49ers — sans Ford — will face the Eagles at home on Sunday night.

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