San Francisco 49ers free safety Jimmie Ward is getting healthy from his collarbone injury so that means he can slot right in with the starters right?
Not so fast.
At the 49ers’ joint practice with the Denver Broncos, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has said the 49ers are not going to be quick giving Ward his job back. Tarvarius Moore will be pushing Ward and, “making things difficult” per Matt Barrows.
What a difference a couple weeks of practice make. When Jimmie Ward went down with a collarbone injury, Moore was moved from cornerback, the position he played his rookie season, back to his college position of safety. Given the timing, it gave Moore a huge opportunity for his second year. While he had some flashes, Saleh was quick to pump the brakes on any speculation of him early in training camp, saying Moore was “by no means” ready to start by Week 1.
Now that tune is changing. The 49ers signed Jimmie Ward to a one-year, $5 million deal. Ward has yet to start for a full 16-game season in his career and has had issues with his durability. Moore’s cap hits, on the other hand, are each under $1 million for the remaining three years (2019 through 2021) of his deal.
Moore may give fans an on-field look on Monday when the 49ers face the Broncos.