San Francisco 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward is scheduled to become a free agent on March 13. The team has sole negotiating rights with him until March 11. After that, the defensive back's agent can begin negotiating with other NFL teams.
The 49ers would like to have Ward back with the team in 2019, but don't want to commit beyond that. The team is looking to re-sign Ward to a one-year deal, according to a report from NBC Sports Bay Area. Of course, that would only happen if interest in the versatile but often injured defensive back is low.
"Despite that injury history, when you (have) that kind of talent, there are going to be people interested," Lynch said this week via NBC Sports Bay Area.
The 49ers made Ward, who played college football at Northern Illinois, the No. 30 overall selection in 2014. He registered 24 combined tackles, and a forced fumble through nine games and seven starts with the 49ers in 2018.
Ward landed on injured reserve with a broken forearm during each of his past two seasons with San Francisco. A hamstring injury forced him to miss two games earlier in the season.
Ward has recorded 186 combined tackles, two sacks, 21 passes defensed, two interceptions, a touchdown, and two forced fumbles through his five NFL seasons.
"I love Jimmie Ward," head coach Kyle Shanahan said this week, again, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "I really hope to have him back. We all know he's struggled a little bit to stay healthy. But he's a guy, as a person, I'll go to war with every day. I really trust and believe in, and I love him as a player, too. I hope it works out that we get him back."
