San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ronald Blair posted a video of himself last month running during his rehab from a torn right ACL. The team this offseason signed him to a one-year deal, ensuring he remains a part of its 2020 campaign.
Blair joined 95.7 The Game on Thursday and provided an update on his recovery.
"I'm doing pretty good," Blair said on the Bonta, Steiny and Guru show. "I actually just got done with therapy. I've been sprinting every day. I'm feeling really, really good. I've got another month before I can start cutting, just from protocol standards. But I feel really good."
Blair sounded optimistic that he will be ready for the 2020 NFL season, assuming it begins in September, as scheduled. That could change amid coronavirus concerns.
The defensive lineman was asked if he expects to be 100 percent by September.
"In my mind, I'm saying yes," Blair responded. "I'm attacking every day to make sure my knee feels good. I should be cleared by training camp. We'll see. We're taking it day by day. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but we're going to take it day by day.
"My plan, if everything starts in September, I should be ready to go."
Blair suffered his injury while making an impressive tackle of a scrambling Russell Wilson against the Seattle Seahawks during Week 10.
"It was a pivotal part of the game, and we kind of needed a stop," Blair said. "I just kind of read that the naked boot was coming and I was running stride to stride for him, and literally, the last step I took on my right leg, it kind of torqued a little bit, and I felt a click right before I reached out to grab Russell. And right as I was grabbing him, in the back of my mind, I'm like, 'Dang, something is not right.'"
Added Blair: "It literally felt like I didn't have a knee. It felt like I was the only person in the stadium. It was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life. Just throughout this process, I just kind of use it as motivation because it's just crazy how much of an emotional rollercoaster it can be. You can be on the highest of highs at one moment, and then right there, at one second, you can be at the lowest of lows.
"It just reminds me never to get too high, never to get too low. I appreciate the moment because you never know when the game can be taken from you."
