With Wednesday serving as the deadline for activating Dee Ford in 2021 and with coach Kyle Shanahan recently saying he’ll be surprised if Ford plays again this year, Ford’s time in San Francisco could be ending soon.
Per a league source, Ford has informed teammates that he expects to be released as soon as Wednesday.
A first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2014, Ford was traded to the 49ers in 2019 for a second-round pick in the 2020 draft. He signed a five-year, $85.5 million deal with the 49ers.
Ford played in 11 regular-season games during his first season with the team, one in 2020, and six in 2021. He has dealt with chronic back issues the past two seasons.
He last played on October 24, and he thereafter landed on injured reserve. The team returned Ford to practice on November 25, and the three-week window for returning to the active roster or spending the rest of the year on IR arrives tomorrow. As Ford tells it to colleagues, he expects that the team will simply cut its losses and move on.