49ers’ Jimmie Ward player he is today thanks to long, difficult road

There's probably a number of people who never expected to see New York Jets running back Frank Gore still going strong in the NFL at age 37, but his former teammate Jimmie Ward isn't one of them. Ward is one of two current 49ers players who were on the roster when Gore was last with the team in 2014, with cornerback Dontae Johnson being the other. Gore was a model of consistency back then, having rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight of nine seasons going back to 2006, and had just wrapped up a season of 1,106 yards and four touchdowns when he and the 49ers didn't come to terms on a new contract after the 2014 season. Gore will face off against his former team when the 49ers face the Jets on Sunday, the second time he's done so since parting ways with the 49ers in

NFL teams are allowed to sign players to their practice squads starting Sunday at 10 a.m. PT. This is following the 9 a.m. PT deadline to claim a player off of waivers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL is allowing each team to carry up to six players with an unlimited amount of NFL experience. Each week during the regular season, teams can protect up to four practice squad players, preventing other teams from signing them to an active roster. The remaining practice squad players can be claimed by any NFL team but must be placed on that team's active 53-player roster. Teams can elevate a practice squad player to the active roster up to 90 minutes before kickoff. Below is a list of players who the 49ers are reportedly signing to their

Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus went around the league and predicted one potential breakout player for each team during the 2020 season. For the San Francisco 49ers, he picked second-year linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Treash wrote the following of the selection: "Greenlaw surprised as a fifth-round rookie last year with how well he performed in Kwon Alexander's absence. He shined in coverage, posting a 72.6 grade in that facet throughout the 49ers' regular-season and postseason run (15th-best at the position). Greenlaw limits yards after the catch and has a clear nose for the ball. Including the postseason, he racked up 22 passing stops, which were the third-most at the position. He's already a top-25 linebacker in the NFL and is capable of