SANTA CLARA -- Dee Ford finally feels 100 percent healthy for the first time on the 49ers.
But he's not ready to play full time yet.
According to Ford, this Sunday the 49ers will keep him on a "pitch count, which means he will play only part time.
Here's what Ford said Monday about the 49ers' plans for his playing time.
FORD: "Like any injury, I'm going to start on a pitch count. That's standard. My role is to do what they brought me here to do -- make big plays."
Q: How do you feel right now?
FORD: "I feel good. Progressing every day. We're not really trying to reinvent the wheel and throw too much volume at one time. Everything has been pretty good."
Q: How do you know when you're back to feeling like yourself?
FORD: "That's a good question. We have these monitors in our shoulder pads that track the speeds we go. That's a good measurement. You want to stay at a steady speed. And then tape. Tape is a good indication. How you're practicing. How you're feeling. I've never really felt out of rhythm coming back, because I stayed here most of the offseason. I worked my hands every day. There was nothing I really needed to do to get back to being consistent."
Q: Kyle Shanahan said you were injured before Week 1 last season. Were you hoping to muscle through the year?
FORD: "Yeah. Ironically, that happened last time I hurt my back. I tried to tough it out. That's a negative, because you only make it worse. So I put myself in a bad situation instead of handling it. I tried to push through it, but spines don't work that way."
Q: What have you seen from Lions rookie right tackle Penei Sewell?
FORD: "He's good. He's a rookie, and for them, it's never really about what they can do. It's about adapting to situations you've never seen before. For him, everything is new. He's going to have to adapt and learn. That's standard rookie life."
Q: Are you saying the adjustments he makes during the game will determine you approach him?
FORD: "No. I see myself like an offensive player. I don't make adjustments. I do my thing."
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