The San Francisco 49ers have been without starting defensive back Jimmie Ward for the entirety of their preseason.
On Wednesday, though, the 49ers announced that the team had activated Ward off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list after Ward participated in workouts on Monday and Tuesday.
The 5-foo-11, 193-pound defensive back out of Northern Illinois started 10 games for San Francisco last season, and is expected to start as the single-high safety at the back end of new defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense in 2017.
Ward was drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and San Francisco has already exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which means he’ll remain in the red and gold through at least the end of the 2018 season.
Ward is among the most versatile members of the 49ers’ secondary, and can play safety, corner and nickel corner.
It’s unclear whether Ward will play this weekend when the 49ers travel to Minnesota, but San Francisco does expect him to be completely healthy when it begins the regular season.