The 49ers won’t have defensive end Ronald Blair for at least the first six weeks of this season. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reported Saturday that Blair will begin the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, where he’s been since the start of training camp.
Blair suffered a torn ACL in Week 10 last season and won’t be fully ready until closer to the middle of this year. While he’s on the PUP list he won’t be able to practice or play in games for the first six weeks. After six weeks his practice window can open, at which point the team has three weeks to decide whether to activate him or put him on season-ending Injured Reserve.
While on PUP, Blair also won’t count against the 49ers’ 53-man roster. His absence likely ensures a player like Dion Jordan will make his way onto the team.
Blair was a fifth-round pick out of Appalachian State in 2017, and he’s carved out a role as an effective reserve edge rusher who can also play some on the interior. He has 13.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss in 47 career games.