Kyle Shanahan Doesn't Expect Dee Ford to Remain on the 49ers
"I do not expect him to be on our team."
That is what Kyle Shanahan said at his Monday press conference following mandatory minicamp. Ford was absent from practice despite having a "good bill of health" from his own doctor.
"He's been excused from minicamp," said Shanahan. "I think he's coming in to get his physical later in this week, but he's not doing anything with us."
The physical with the 49ers is surely going to be Ford's last act. Expect Ford to be released following the physical as it will determine what type of designation for him. Hearing Shanahan say he doesn't expect Ford to be with the 49ers is not shocking at all. All signs were pointing that way for the 49ers, especially after John Lynch indicated as much back in late March.
"I think we tried to be as patient as possible," said Lynch at the NFL annual meetings. "and no fault of Dee, he just ran into a bad situation with his back, where he couldn’t get healthy. We’ll figure that out, exactly what the transaction will be, but not enough hope and progress to see him playing for us moving forward.”
Ford was a "swing for the fences" type of move by the 49ers. It worked out with him tremendously in 2019 en route to a Super Bowl appearance, but ever since then Ford has essentially been a lost cause. His health just hasn't permitted him to be a factor on the 49ers and as Lynch said they've been "as patient as possible," which I'm sure they have ran out of. You can only hold out so much hope for a player. It is safe to say that trading for Ford burned the 49ers more in the end than it helped them.
Moving on from Ford now is the right decision. It is better to invest the time and roster spot in a player who can help out than one who will inevitably get hurt again. You just wonder now if Ford will call it a career, which I fully expect to happen. Very unfortunate for Ford to have a promising career plagued with injuries, but it is time for the next chapter for him and the 49ers.
Out goes Ford, in comes Drake Jackson to recreate what Ford was in 2019 for years to come.
