Safety Jimmie Ward likely is to miss at least the 49ers’ first four games of the 2022 NFL regular season.
General manager John Lynch said Ward’s hamstring issue is expected to land him on the short-term Injured Reserve for the start of the regular season. Lynch made his comments during the Thursday Night Football pregame show on Prime Video.
Shortly after his initial comments, NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan spoke with Lynch, who confirmed that Ward likely will start the season on IR but that the move isn't 100 percent confirmed.
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Any player who goes on injured reserve is ineligible to play for four games. The 49ers would have to place Ward on injured reserve after the cuts are made next week to the 53-player regular-season limit.
If Ward goes on injured reserve, the first game in which he could appear would be Oct. 9 against the Carolina Panthers. Ward would not be eligible to play against the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams.
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San Francisco 49ers
With Ward out of action, the 49ers could turn to Tarvarius Moore, George Odum or Tashaun Gipson to line up alongside safety Talanoa Hufanga in the 49ers' defensive backfield.