49ers Injury Report: Alexander set to Return; Ford Listed as Questionable
For the first time since the first quarter of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers will have most of their key players healthy.
Safety Jaquiski Tartt (rib fracture), guard Mike Person (neck) and linebacker Kwon Alexander are set to return to the field Saturday for the divisional playoff matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
Of the three that are returning, Alexander's comeback is most intriguing. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle on Halloween night and was placed on injured reserve shortly after. It was strongly believed that his return to the 49ers was not an option. After all, he did suffer a severe injury.
Clearly, it is going to take more than a torn pectoral muscle to keep Alexander down. The 49ers will officially activate him off of injured reserve tomorrow prior to the 1pm PST deadline. His addition to the lineup will be a major boost to the defense, as will Dee Ford.
Since aggravating his hamstring injury against the New Orleans Saints on Dec. 8, Ford has been kept on the shelf so he could focus his recovery on getting ready for the playoffs. However, I would not pencil in Ford as a lock to return on Saturday.
He was slated to speak to the media during the open locker room portion, but was caught up undergoing treatment for his hamstring. It is possible that his hamstring is still not fully recovered. Even Kyle Shanahan admitted today at his presser that the team has been taking extreme caution with the handling of Ford's hamstring.
"Yes, we did wait longer." He said. "It was more we're trying to be smarter about it. I don't know if that's the right word, but I think Dee is also. It's tough for athletes in these situations. They want to play no matter what."
Ford was limited all week in practice and, from my observations, did not show any signs of a hindrance. Whether he tweaked it this week, or if it was just a standard treatment is unknown.
But it would not be wise to expect to be active Saturday against the Vikings. Without Ford, the 49ers have put up only four sacks in the month of December. From racking up sacks like it was nothing, to failing to have more than a sack a game. Of course, other injuries to the defensive line play a major factor to the lack of finishing from the 49ers' pass rush.
That is why the return of Ford is crucial. He is the last piece to the puzzle for the pass rush to start bringing down the quarterback. If Ford is not able to go, then all is not lost. Tartt and Alexander are assuredly going to be active on Saturday. Their presence will dramatically have the defense nearing full optimization.
All hands on deck will be needed for the 49ers who will be tasked with containing Dalvin Cook and the pair of their prolific wide receivers.
