Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
49ers’ Dee Ford calls report of impending release ‘false’
Dec 15, 2021 at 9:12 AM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
On Tuesday night, Pro Football Talk reported that veteran pass rusher Dee Ford informed teammates that he expected the San Francisco 49ers to release him.
"Per a league source,
Ford has informed teammates that he expects to be released as soon as Wednesday," wrote Mike Florio.
Florio added, "As Ford tells it to colleagues, he expects that the team will simply cut its losses and move on."
According to NFL reporter Mike Silver, besides Ford speaking to his teammates, that report is entirely false.
"The articles saying I told my teammates I expected to be released are false," Ford told Silver via a text message. "I'm going to be getting rehab and taking the time needed to get back and I was saying goodbye to the boys because I wouldn't be in the building. We are still rolling. We're just taking the time needed."
The 49ers placed Ford on injured reserve on November 6 due to chronic back issues. The team opened his practice window on November 25 and has until Wednesday to activate him off injured reserve or lose him for the season.
"That's something that I never can predict," head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday of Ford's status. "But I'll be surprised if he's back. I think we'll just have to continue playing without him."
A decision to release Ford would have been a curious one, considering the minimal salary-cap savings from such a move. It sounds like, rather than an outright release, Ford will be departing the team to focus on getting healthy and returning to the football field at some point after this season.
"
This is a chronic issue," Ford said in October. "Yeah, my disc may have had a new herniation in my L5; I think that's the disc ... If guys have these issues in their knees, our knees go bad. Once you degenerate so much muscle, you get into ligaments and tendons ... we all feel it. We get older, and you start to feel your knees start popping, clicking, and cracking. Well, that was my spine."
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Brandon Aiyuk's agent denies report of Steelers 'aggressively pursuing' the 49ers receiver
On Wednesday, Chat Sports contributor Chase Senior reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "aggressively pursuing" San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He further stated that the Steelers are confident they can finalize a deal for the star player.
REPORTS: The Pittsburgh Steelers are aggressively pursuing a Brandon Aiyuk trade and the Steelers would be "surprised" if they don't land Aiyuk. Of note: Pittsburgh has the 20th overall pick. The Niners could look at that as equal value for Aiyuk if they can't get a deal done.…
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Rapoport: 49ers send clear message to teams inquiring about Brandon Aiyuk
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
