The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have opened the practice window for defensive end Dee Ford.
Ford has been on injured reserve since November 6 due to a back injury. He is expected to practice with his teammates on Thursday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan hopes to have Ford and linebacker Dre Greenlaw available on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
"Dee, we don't want to put him [out there] three days in a row, just because of how he's been since he's been here," Shanahan said during a KNBR interview on Wednesday. "So, we're waiting until tomorrow to start to practice him. So, tomorrow's a big practice. I know he's feeling great, from what he said, so he's just got to go out there and show it to us."
The 49ers traded for Ford in 2019. He has recorded five tackles, two tackles for a loss, three sacks, four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble through six game appearances this season while taking part in 27 percent of the defensive snaps in those games.