Ford (back) was not seen at San Francisco's OTA sessions Tuesday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
Ford dealt with back injuries in 2021 that limited him to just six games played before being sidelined in late October and missing the remainder of the season. The eighth-year defensive end has appeared in just seven games over the past two seasons for the 49ers, so his absence from any on-field drills Tuesday is not an encouraging sign for his long-term health. Ford is entering the final season of his contract with San Francisco and the remarks on his health by general manager John Lynch in late March seem to indicate that the team may ultimately choose to part ways before the start of the regular season.