Getty Dee Ford wraps himself around Kyler Murray of the Cardinals during a Halloween 2021 road game in Arizona.
On Tuesday night, December 14, NBC Sports Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford was saying goodbye to his teammates, giving the indicator he’ll soon be released by the team. The report stemmed from Ford being unable to get activated to the 53-man roster due to neck and back injuries.
But on Wednesday morning on December 15, Ford refuted the Florio report.
The 30-year-old edge rusher Ford spoke with Bally Sports’ Mike Silver and revealed the true meaning behind his encounter with his teammates and clarified where things stand with the 49ers.
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Details of Silver’s Text From Ford
Silver, at 9:02 a.m. PT on Twitter, shared the details of his morning text message from the 49ers defender.
“Got a text from 49ers edge rusher Dee Ford: ‘The articles saying I told my teammates I expected to be released are false. 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,'” was what one text message read.
Then came this follow up posted by Silver via Ford: “We are still rolling we’re just taking the time needed.”
Ford originally got placed on the 49ers’ injured reserve list on November 6 due to back and neck pain. On November 25, the 49ers opened up his practice window to return, but Ford and the 49ers had until Wednesday, December 15, to activate him or lose him for the rest of the year. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday that he would be surprise if Ford plays the rest of 2021.
The #49ers have to make a decision on Dee Ford on Wednesday. Shanahan said he would be surprised if Ford (back) is back this season.
The #49ers have until Wednesday to activate edge rusher Dee Ford from Injured Reserve.
Kyle Shanahan said he’d “be surprised” if the 49ers get him back this week. Potentially closing the door on Ford’s 2021 campaign.
Releasing Ford would’ve meant cutting ties with a pass rusher who once signed a five-year, $85 million deal after the 49ers matched the franchise tag offer from the Kansas City Chiefs, where Ford collected 30.5 of his career sacks according to Pro Football Reference. Ford also went to his first and only Pro Bowl as a Chief in 2018 — the season that saw him snatch a career-high 13 sacks in what would be his final season with the franchise.
His 49ers career, however, hasn’t lived up to his K.C. years. Ford has only 9.5 sacks in the 49ers uniform and hasn’t played beyond 12 games in a season as his S.F. career has dealt with a myriad of injuries.
Still, there were dilemmas facing the 49ers should they have released the defender, as noted in a series of tweets from 49ers beat reporter David Lombardi of The Athletic.
Ford Had Contract Restructured During the Spring
Lombardi reposted a March 2021 article on Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. PT on December 15 that Ford reworked his original deal with the ‘Niners.
Lombardi added in a tweet, “The Dee Ford contract restructure in March was essentially the 49ers making the best of a bad situation. Ford had injury guarantee leverage and S.F. needed cap space. The 49ers long ago accepted that they’d view any 2021 production from Ford as found money.”
Lombardi then followed with this post further clarifying the situation involving Ford and the ‘Niners.
As I was saying, the Dee Ford reports were a crock — a release now makes no financial sense for the 49ers and probably isn’t even possible
Lombardi revealed the money aspect involving the 49ers with Ford.
The issue at play is that Dee Ford still has a considerable amount of guaranteed money that has yet to hit the 49ers’ cap. If SF releases Ford, it will immediately hit their cap. And they don’t have enough cap room to take on that immediate hit. Have to keep the $$ spread out
Lastly, as of 11:42 a.m. PT on Wednesday, December 15, Ford is not only on IR for the rest of the year, but Shanahan confirmed via Lombardi that Ford is still a 49er.
For the record, Shanahan confirms that the 49ers don’t plan on releasing Dee Ford now.
As we said, that would be a terrible move making no financial sense, and it’d also be impossible since it would incur $23.3m of dead money while SF only has about $2m in cap space
Ford’s last 2021 action came in the Sunday Night Football home loss to the Indianapolis Colts 30-18 on October 24, when he managed one tackle.