The San Francisco 49ers placed 2014 first-round draft pick Jimmie Ward on injured reserve on Saturday, ending the young cornerback's 2014 NFL season.
Per Eric Branch of SFGate.com, "in last week’s overtime win at New Orleans, Ward injured the same foot that he had surgery on in March to repair a Jones fracture. It’s not known if his current injury is connected to his previous foot issue, which sidelined him for the offseason program."
With Ward out of action for the remainder of the year, Perrish Cox will move into the slot cornerback spot in the 49ers’ nickel defense. Rookie cornerback Dontae Johnson is the current favorite to take over Cox’s spot on the outside of the nickel package.
This is the second season-ending injury to have befallen the San Francisco 49ers cornerback corps in 2014. The Niners lost Chris Cook to a major groin injury last month, meaning that Ward's injury will make an already-thin defensive backfield even thinner.
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