The San Francisco 49ers officially listed safety Jimmie Ward as doubtful for their regular season opener against the Carolina Panthers. He has been limited in practice with a hamstring injury, and the nature of such injuries means the safest course of action is to sit him in Week 1.
That means the 49ers will have to rely on a backup to start at free safety, and they have no clear No. 2 player there. That is to say, they have two players they feel comfortable with, but aren’t sure — or aren’t telling — which one will start: Jaquiski Tartt or Lorenzo Jerome.