San Francisco 49ers defensive back, Jimmie Ward, left Sunday's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter and did not return. It turned out that the defensive back who started the season as a cornerback but moved to safety, suffered a broken forearm for the second consecutive year.
The 49ers placed Ward on injured reserve on November 1, 2017, and did so again on Tuesday. He was playing on a hefty $8.526 million fifth-year option as part of his rookie deal.
It seems unlikely that the 49ers will pay to bring back Ward next year.
Injury has plagued Ward's career since the 49ers made him a first-round pick out of Northern Illinois in 2014. He missed much of training camp this year with a hamstring injury.
Ward's 2017 season also ended with a broken forearm suffered during a Week 8 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles after he had already missed much of last year's training camp with a hamstring injury. Ward missed part of the 2016 season with a quad strain and then saw his season end early due to a shoulder injury. A quad injury and stress fracture forced him to miss much of his rookie season.
"I just play physical. I don't know any other way," Ward told Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee after Sunday's game. "It's just a tough break. When it happens, it happens. I've been there before. I'm just going to grind and get back."
Ward has recorded 185 combined tackles, 21 passes defensed, two interceptions, a touchdown, two sacks, and two forced fumbles during his five seasons in San Francisco. He registered 23 combined tackles and a forced fumble this season.