SANTA CLARA
The emotional spark plug of the 49ers’ defense has been cleared to practice.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander, who’s been on injured reserve since tearing his left pectoral on Halloween against the Arizona Cardinals, has been given the go ahead from team doctors to return to the practice field ahead of Saturday’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Whether or not Alexander plays will be up to the coaching staff after seeing Alexander practice this week. It’s no longer a medical decision, coach Kyle Shanahan said, after he initially thought Alexander might be back for the NFC title game next week if San Francisco advanced.
“Kwon’s been trying to get back since the day after he was hurt — so he’s been trying to prove us wrong on that,” Shanahan said Tuesday. “He’s more ahead of schedule, a week ahead of schedule, than we anticipated. He’s been cleared by the medical staff. Now it’s just about how he looks out on the field and things like that. We’ll have a padded practice tomorrow that will give us a little bit of a better idea.”
Alexander returned to practice during the bye last week in a noncontact jersey which gave the team optimism he could play Saturday. ESPN reported over the weekend the team was planning to have him available. The 49ers would have to make a roster move to activate him off injured reserve in a move that would likely come on Friday.
Fifth-round draft pick Dre Greenlaw replaced Alexander at “Will” linebacker since going down and played admirably in his place. Greenlaw’s season was highlight by the final defensive snap of the regular season when he stopped Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister inches short of the goal line on fourth down in the final moments of the crucial Week 17 victory.
Overall, the 49ers defense wasn’t as dominant after Alexander’s injury as it was during the first half of the season. It allowed 224 yards per game before the injury and 326 after it. Of course, other injuries to the defensive line and playing a far tougher schedule also contributed.
“Kwon’s a very good linebacker,” Shanahan said. “He runs and hits. He’s smart in our defense. The energy, you guys see him walk around and live his life by, it’s the energy that the brings on the football field too. So our team loves him. We’re fired up when he’s out there. And he’s a good player also.”
Dee Ford returns to practice
The Alexander news wasn’t the only promising development from San Francisco’s defense on Tuesday. Pass rusher Dee Ford returned to practice for the first time since aggravating his hamstring injury after just four snaps Dec. 8 in New Orleans.
He missed five the last six games because of the injury, but the belief is the team took extra caution to ensure he would be fully recovered for the playoffs.
“Obviously, he’s had some set backs which is pretty disheartening for anybody,” defensive end Nick Bosa said. “But the fact that he’s feeling great now is all we can ask for.”
Ford played sparingly during the season but still managed 6.5 sacks in 11 games. The 49ers averaged over three sacks per game with Ford in the lineup and 2.6 in the five games he missed.
“Having an extra pass rusher always helps,” Bosa said. “So, yeah, you want to get more one on ones, they can’t slide (protection) to you as much. It opens up stuff for the interior guys as well. You’ll probably see them start to get more opportunities with Dee on the field too. So it’s not just me.”
▪ Strong safety Jaquiski Tartt, who hasn’t played since Dec. 1 in Baltimore, was out of his noncontact jersey he wore during the last two weeks to protect his injured rib. Shanahan said Tartt was a full go and is expected to return to the starting lineup against the Vikings.
▪ Right guard Mike Person appears set to return to the starting lineup after being relegated to backup duties while dealing with a neck injury during the last two games of the regular season. He spent the early portion of practice open to reporters doing drills with the other four starters. Daniel Brusnkill replaced Person at right guard and appears likely to resume backup duties at both guard and tackle, where he started games earlier in the season.
