So much for the San Francisco 49ers heading into training camp without any injuries. The team announced on Friday that defensive back Jimmie Ward has been placed on the active/physically-unable-to-perform list. While Ward will not count towards the 49ers' 90-man roster while on the list, he can be activated at any time prior to the final cuts of training camp.
General manager John Lynch had stated on Thursday that all of their players were healthy and no one would be placed on the PUP or non-football-injury lists. Being placed on the PUP list means that the injury occurred during an official football activity. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that Ward suffered a hamstring injury.
Ward entered the offseason as the team's highest-graded defensive back, according to Pro Football Focus, and has been working on transitioning back to the position he played in college – safety. He also finished the 2015 season as the 49ers' highest-graded defensive back.
The 49ers are transitioning to a single-high safety scheme and Ward is expected to fill that role. He is entering his fourth season with the 49ers and has accumulated 110 tackles, two sacks, 20 passes defended, and two interceptions over his three seasons. The new coaching staff was impressed enough with Ward that the team picked up his fifth-year option earlier in the offseason. That will keep Ward under contract through the 2018 season.
Like so many other 49ers players from the previous regime, Ward ended the 2016 season on injured reserve following a shoulder injury suffered during a December matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.