After missing the 49ers’ first four games with a hamstring injury, Jimmie Ward came off injured reserve and returned to his starting post alongside emerging talent Talanoa Hufanga. Ward then suffered another injury on San Francisco’s first defensive play. Another absence is on tap.
The ninth-year safety, whom the 49ers brought back from IR when first eligible, is looking at a multiweek shutdown after his latest injury, according to Kyle Shanahan. The sixth-year HC said Ward could return “in a few weeks," per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. Ward suffered a broken left hand and has already undergone surgery.
Ward, 31, is guaranteed to miss this week’s game against the Falcons, with a re-evaluation scheduled for next week to determine how effectively he can play with a cast.
The former first-round pick came into the season having enjoyed an improved run of health. He only missed six games from 2019-21, anchoring San Francisco’s safety group as Jaquiski Tartt was more frequently absent. But Ward experienced extensive early-career injury misfortune, playing more than 10 games just once in his first five seasons.
The 49ers have Tashaun Gipson on hand as Ward’s replacement. With Gipson starting the team’s first four games with Ward on IR, the 49ers plugging the veteran back in alongside Hufanga makes for a simple transition. But injuries are continuing to pile up for the 49ers, depleting what might be the NFL’s premier defense.
Arik Armstead will miss another game due to foot and ankle issues, while Nick Bosa is uncertain to suit up against Atlanta after suffering a groin injury in Week 5. Shanahan said Bosa has a chance to play in Week 6, though he did not practice Wednesday.
Charles Omenihu is likely to start if Bosa cannot go, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes. Javon Kinlaw, who has followed Ward in encountering early-career injury trouble, has missed the past two games due to lingering pain in his surgically repaired left knee. Kinlaw, who has not yet adequately filled the DeForest Buckner void for which he was drafted, is expecting to play through some pain this season.
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