San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward has not played during the preseason. The team is being cautious with its free-agent prize as he deals with what head coach Kyle Shanahan described as "a muscle strain." Ward showed enough during the offseason that Shanahan and the 49ers just want him to be ready for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
It sounds like Ward is on schedule to do that.
"He'll be back next week," Shanahan said Wednesday morning on KNBR's Murph & Mac show. "He's doing good. We're not going to test him at all in this game (against the Houston Texans). Him and [Emmanuel Moseley] have been off the last few weeks."
Moseley returned to practice this week after dealing with a hamstring injury. He, too, has not played in the preseason. That drought could end on Thursday when the 49ers close out their exhibition schedule against the Texans.
"I think E-man will get a go, possibly a little, in this game," Shanahan revealed. "We're still trying to decide on that. He at least has been good here the last two days in practice. And Charvarius, he'll be out there next week."
After Thursday's game, the 49ers will have 17 days until their regular-season opener at Soldier Field. That's plenty of time to start easing players like Ward into action and getting them ready for the rigors of the season.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.