Dee Ford's time with the San Francisco 49ers may be coming to an end. According to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the veteran pass rusher is telling teammates that he expects to be released.
"Per a league source, Ford has informed teammates that he expects to be released as soon as Wednesday," wrote Florio.
Update: Ford denies the report of his impending release, per Mike Silver.
Ford landed on injured reserve on November 6 due to back issues. The 49ers were optimistic that the defensive end could contribute this season, opening his practice window on November 25. However, Ford was never healthy enough to practice with his teammates. The team has until Wednesday to activate him off the injured reserve list, or he will be lost for the season. It sounds like San Francisco has instead opted to part ways with the defender.
The 49ers traded a second-round pick for Ford, a former first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, in 2019. He signed a five-year, $85.5 million deal with San Francisco following the trade. Ford has appeared in just 18 regular-season games in his three seasons with the Niners.
"As Ford tells it to colleagues, he expects that the team will simply cut its losses and move on," added Florio.
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said he wasn't optimistic that Ford would play for the 49ers again this season.
"I believe we've got to make [a decision] by Wednesday, and we'll see what goes," Shanahan said. "That's something that I never can predict. But I'll be surprised if he's back. I think we'll just have to continue playing without him."
Ford recorded five tackles, two tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, and three sacks through six games this season before landing on injured reserve.
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