San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Dee Ford left Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a knee injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Monday that the veteran defender's knee issues from the summer have popped up once again.
"The same area," Shanahan said. "Quad, knee area. He's still hurting today. We'll see how he is for practice on Wednesday. I don't have anything new to update today, but practice will definitely be in question for Wednesday."
Ford left practice during training camp on July 30 with a quad issue. That's when the 49ers' new pass rusher revealed that he was also dealing with chronic knee tendinitis.
Ford received platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections during training camp to deal with the issue, which forced him to miss the preseason. The 49ers hoped to get it out of the way before the regular season so as to not deal with it once games mattered.
Ford said earlier this month that if the issue resurfaced, it might mean more treatments or an exploration of other options.
"It will never be 100 percent," Ford said when asked before the season how healthy he was feeling. "It's enough. It's enough. I wouldn't step on the field if I wasn't ready."
The 49ers traded for Ford on March 12, giving up a second-round draft pick in 2020 to the Kansas City Chiefs. He signed a new five-year deal upon landing on San Francisco's roster.
Ford recorded 13 sacks, 55 combined tackles, and seven forced fumbles last year with the Chiefs — all career-highs. He had a sack against quarterback Jameis Winston during the 49ers' Week 1 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Shanahan said that Ford playing on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers remains a possibility.
"We're going to give him whatever he can handle," Shanahan said. "If we feel he's good enough to go and it's not risking him for anything, then we'll play him as much as possible."
