Shanahan on Dee Ford: I do not expect him to be on our team

Everyone who was supposed to be in attendance for the 49ers at mandatory minicamp was Tuesday.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said it didn’t make sense for Jimmy Garoppolo to be at the team’s three-day minicamp when he’s been rehabbing in Los Angeles. Shanahan followed up with the plan for Jimmy to throw has always been July. And if he’s still on the roster come training camp, Garoppolo is expected to practice with the rest of the team.

Dee Ford is a name that feels like we’re waiting for his inevitable release. Shanahan said Ford’s been excused from practice. Ford will be in the building later this week for a physical, but Shanahan said, “he’s not doing anything for us.”

When asked if the Niners plan on releasing Ford or if he’s going to retire, Shanahan was unsure, stating, “I know we’ve gotten a good bill of health from his doctor saying how good he is in this spot. We’re going to check him out with our physical. I do not expect him to be on our team, but those are the three options that could happen.”

It sounds as though the 49ers are waiting for Ford to pass his physical before they release him. If Ford retires, the money counts as if he was cut on or after June 1. So, the money won’t change either way. The remaining years on Ford’s contract would void, and San Francisco would have $920,000 in dead money for the next three years.

Rookie wide receiver Danny Gray tweaked his hamstring last week in OTAs, per Shanahan. The Niners head coach said Gray would sit out this week and will most likely be out next week as well. The only notable player who wasn’t practicing was Charvarius Ward; Shanahan said the team is being smart with and are “taking it easy with him right now.”

As for Deebo Samuel potentially going through drills for the rest of the week, Shanahan said it’s not smart for Samuel or the team, and it’s not something he’s counting on.