According to San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, safety Jimmie Ward had a "promising" workout on Sunday. Ward has spent training camp on the team's physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list since landing there on July 28 due to a hamstring injury.
"I know he had a promising workout," Saleh said Monday. "I'm still not sure of his availability."
Ward appeared on the 49ers' Monday practice participation report, perhaps indicating that the safety is not yet ready to return to the practice field just yet. Typically, players on the PUP list are omitted from practice participation reports.
"If we don't feel 100-percent great about [Ward's hamstring following Sunday's workout], we're not going to risk Jimmie getting out there and reinjuring it, setting him back," head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Saturday. "If we don't get a 110-percent positive report [on Sunday] then we'll just push it another few days."
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 under Saleh and Ward is expected to fill that role.
Ward's ability to stay healthy has been a concern. He ended the 2016 season on injured reserve following a shoulder injury suffered during a December matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
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