Defensive end Ronald Blair suffered a torn ACL during last season's Week 10 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. In April, the defender said he was feeling good while going through his rehab and expected to be ready for the start of the 2020 season.
"I'm attacking every day to make sure my knee feels good," Blair said. "I should be cleared by training camp. We'll see. We're taking it day by day. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but we're going to take it day by day. My plan, if everything starts in September, I should be ready to go."
Unfortunately, Blair wasn't ready for training camp. He may be close, though, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
"Love Ronald Blair," Shanahan told reporters over Zoom on Friday. "Expect to have him back, definitely this year. That hasn't changed. I'm hoping for Week 1. We'll probably get some more clarity on that, probably over the next week, because I want to make sure to give him a practice before he would come out there. But we're getting close to being able to make a decision on that."
Shanahan added that the defensive line performing well during training camp has allowed the 49ers to be patient with Blair's recovery.
The 49ers made Blair a fifth-round selection out of Appalachian State in 2016. He registered 21 tackles and three sacks through nine games before his injury last season.
San Francisco kicks off its regular season on September 13 when the team hosts the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium.
Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
John Lynch retains key 49ers exec as Jaguars announce GM decision
By David Bonilla
Feb 21
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a significant move on Friday, hiring Los Angeles Rams director of scouting James Gladstone as their new general manager. With that decision, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch likely breathed a sigh of relief.
Just a year after losing...
NFC West news: Matthew Stafford, Rams agree to restructured deal
By David Bonilla
Feb 28
It seemed likely that the defending NFC West champions would lose their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford. The Los Angeles Rams recently allowed Stafford to explore a trade, allowing him to speak with other teams and assess his market value.
While teams like the New York...
On Thursday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported that San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was "likely" to do something he hasn't done since 2020—attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
However, just a day later, reports emerged that Shanahan is...
TDN mock draft: 49ers add O-lineman with injury concern
By David Bonilla
4 hrs
Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons felt an immediate connection with San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch when the two spoke at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Both hail from the San Diego area, where Lynch remains deeply rooted.
"So we were chopping...
