4 changes SF 49ers should make to roster before Week 3 vs. Giants

No. 4: SF 49ers should move Dee Ford, Tevin Coleman to injured reserve

When Tevin Coleman’s injury was announced the Monday after San Francisco’s victory over the Jets, there was no timetable given for his return.

That’s not good news. And neither is Raheem Mostert’s injury.

Luckily, fellow running back Jerick McKinnon has provided a spark after his two-year absence with injury, adding touchdowns in both the SF 49ers’ first two games of the season. One might expect an uptick in McKinnon’s use versus the Giants.

But when looking at Coleman, particularly his 1.7 yards-per-carry average on the young season, it makes far more sense to place him on the short-term injured-reserve list, which would keep him out for the next three weeks.

Where that roster spot goes is discussed next, but there’s another move Kyle Shanahan could make: placing EDGE Dee Ford on short-term IR, too.

On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Ford wasn’t improving from a back injury that kept him out of last Sunday’s game, and there wasn’t any specific timetable for his return. Ford, who only appeared for 22 percent of defensive snaps last year, has been marred by health problems since joining San Francisco in 2019.

Yes, the 49ers pass rush is hurting minus Nick Bosa, and removing Ford for at least the next three weeks isn’t helpful either.

But with Bosa out for the season, it’s far more important to get Ford back at 100 percent instead of rushing him back prematurely like the Niners did last year.