Defensive end Dee Ford will not be available for the 49ers’ Week 4 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
And he could be out for at least a couple weeks longer, too.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Ford’s back condition has not improved much, and the 49ers will determine this week whether to place him on injured reserve.
If Ford goes on IR, he would be ineligible to suit up for the next three games.
“He's not going to play this week and we should decide in the next few days whether to put him on short-term IR or not, but we haven't decided, yet,” Shanahan said. “We'll see how that goes here in the next few days.”
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Ford played 46 snaps in the 49ers’ season-opening loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 13.
After taking part in the Wednesday practice before the 49ers' Week 2 game, Ford was held out of the Thursday practice with what was originally believed to be neck spasms.
The issue was later diagnosed as a back condition, which sidelined Ford for the 49ers’ games against the New York Jets and New York Giants.
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Ford was limited to 11 games last season due to knee and hamstring issues. He still managed to register 6.5 sacks. After undergoing extensive offseason surgery on his knee, Ford, 29, believed he was primed to have one of his best seasons.
The 49ers acquired Ford before the 2019 season from the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round draft pick. Ford had 13 sacks for Kansas City in 2018.