Alex Boone (75) is a giant in the 49ers run game. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Offensive guard Alex Boone is expected to practice with the San Francisco 49ers Tuesday for the first time this preseason after ending his holdout Sunday.
Boone reportedly has been working out six days a week and might be physically ready to jump right back into the starting lineup for Sunday’s opener in Dallas.
Boone currently is not on the 49ers’ 53-man roster, but is expected to get a spot vacated by either guard Marcus Martin or nose tackle Glenn Dorsey, both of whom are expected to be placed on the Injured Reserve/Designated to Return list on Tuesday.
Boone held out throughout training camp, unhappy with the remaining two years on a contract that was scheduled to pay him $2 million this season and $1 million in 2015.
As part of the new agreement, Boone will earn a total of $6 million in the next two seasons. He also will have all accrued fines during his holdout waived.
Boone’s return is a major development for the 49ers because he is a key player in their smash-mouth running game. Confidence for the 49ers offensive line was buoyed by the return of Boone and a declaration by offensive tackle Anthony Davis that it will be ready for the opener.
If Boone wanted to sneak back into town, he picked the right time to do it. Not only was the team in the middle of cutting the roster to 53 and adding players to the practice squad, but starting defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested on domestic-violence charges and spent part of Sunday in jail.’
That was an especially ominous development coming only a couple of days after commissioner Roger Goodell was emphatic about taking a hard line against future incidents involving domestic violence.
