The 49ers badly needed a first-round by in the playoffs to get healthy. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much Monday in a conference call with reporters. He said that because of the bye week, he was optimistic about the returns of strong safety Jaquiski Tartt and defensive end Dee Ford.
“I’m hoping for it and I am feeling optimistic about it,” Shanahan said when asked about Tartt and Ford playing in the team’s playoff opener on January 11. “You never know with how those things go with the ribs and with the hamstring, but that was the goal. We knew there could be a slight chance this week if we were playing this week, so getting this Bye week should make it an even better chance then.”
Tartt injured his ribs against the Ravens in Week 13 and hasn’t played since. He did return to practice in a limited fashion leading up to Week 17, but he didn’t play.
Ford has dealt with a hamstring injury since Week 11, and tried to return in Week 14 against the Saints, but aggravated the injury and hasn’t played since.
Getting both back for the wild card round sounds like it might’ve been a long shot. While Shanahan didn’t guarantee they’d both play in the playoffs, his optimism is an encouraging sign for defense that badly needs reinforcements.
Tartt is a versatile weapon in the back end who was having a terrific year prior to his injury. Ford is an electric edge rusher who helps bookend the 49ers’ pass rush. It’s not a coincidence that unit’s struggled since he’s been out. Even if he only rushes as a third-down specialist, he’s a dangerous player teams generally have to account for with more than one blocker.
San Francisco has battled injuries all season, but getting some positive injury news leading up to their first postseason game since 2013 would be a good start to their playoff run.