Shanahan calls off remainder of 49ers' offseason program

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Enough is enough.

After the 49ers had three significant injuries to key backup players over the past three weeks, coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday announced he is cutting short the remainder of the team's offseason program.

The 49ers did not practice on Tuesday, one day after two of their players sustained long-term injuries. Reserve offensive lineman Justin Skule suffered a torn ACL and, three plays later, backup safety Tarvarius Moore went down with a torn Achilles.

The 49ers were scheduled to practice again on Thursday, then hold their mandatory three-day minicamp next week in Santa Clara. Shanahan informed the players on Tuesday that there would be no more on-field work during the offseason.

"I rarely do minicamp when we get nine OTAs in," Shanahan said. "We usually do one practice and then we have like a team-building thing throughout that. And I kind of decided earlier in this, if we could get our OTAs in, I wasn't going to keep them for minicamp because it's a week longer than usual.

"I like the guys to get away for 40 days. And we started a week later this year than usual, the whole league did. So they only would have gone away for like 32 days. And I think that does add up."

Shanahan said the fact that all but one player reported for some portion of OTAs was another reason he decided to send the team home early. The only player who was not at the facility was defensive end Dee Ford.

Beginning in February, Ford spent 3 1/2 months at the team's training facility rehabilitating from a back injury that kept him sidelined for the final 15 games last season. Shanahan said he sent Ford home to Kansas City and his fingers are crossed that Ford will be able to return to action in training camp.

The entire team is scheduled to return to Santa Clara for the opening of training camp in late-July.

Two weeks ago, 49ers backup running back Jeff Wilson Jr. sustained a torn meniscus in his knee in a freak incident after taking part in a lifting session in the weight room. He was seated in the locker room, and when he stood up, his knee gave out.

Skule is expected to be out for the season, while Moore could return after a four-to-six month rehab. Wilson is on a similar timetable for recovery. Both Moore and Wilson are likely to open the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and could be available to return after the midpoint of the season.

Moore figured to be a big part of the 49ers' defense this season, as he enters the final year of his original four-year contract after being a third-round draft pick in 2018. Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt are projected to be the team's starting safeties.

RELATED: Source: 49ers, Chargers plan joint preseason practices

The offseason has been a continuation of bad luck for the 49ers, whose 2020 season was decimated by injuries.

The 49ers went to the Super Bowl in 2019, but fell to a 6-10 record with such players as Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman missing significant portions of the season with injuries.

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