Mykel Williams Injury News & Updates

The 49ers placed Williams (knee) on injured reserve Saturday.

Williams suffered a torn ACL in last Sunday's win over the Giants and will miss the remainder of the season. He joins a laundry list of 49ers on the team's injured-reserve list. The 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Williams wraps up his rookie season with 20 tackles (11 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and one fumble recovery across nine appearances, all starts. San Francisco will lean on Bryce Huff, Keion White (groin), Sam Okuayinonu, Robert Beal and Clelin Ferrell at defensive end moving forward.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Williams tore his ACL during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 34-24 win over the Giants, Matt Barrows and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report.

Shanahan noted that there was some damage to the lateral meniscus in Williams' knee but no other ligament damage beyond the ACL, which means the rookie first-rounder has a chance to be available for the start of the 2026 campaign. It's yet another season-ending injury for the 49ers defense, with Williams stepping into a larger role on the defensive line after Nick Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3 against the Cardinals and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner lost for the season after dislocating and fracturing his right ankle in Week 6 against the Buccaneers. Fellow defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will miss at least three more games while on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, but veteran Bryce Huff (hamstring) is expected to return from a two-game absence against the Rams in Week 10. In the absence of Bosa, Gross-Matos and now Williams, the 49ers will rely more heavily on the likes of Huff, Sam Okuayinonu, Clelin Ferrell and Keion White (who was traded by New England to San Francisco this past Tuesday) at defens

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Mykel Williams might have injured his ACL in Sunday's win over the Giants, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.

Williams will undergo further testing Monday to confirm whether he suffered an ACL injury. If the 21-year-old is forced to miss extended time, Sam Okuayinonu would likely start at defensive end in his place.

Williams logged a full practice session Wednesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Williams suffered a wrist injury in 49ers' win over Arizona on Sunday, but he was able to return. His full practice session Wednesday suggests he should be ready to suit up for a Week 4 matchup against Jacksonville.

Williams is considered day-to-day due to a wrist injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Williams hurt his wrist in Sunday's Week 3 win over the Cardinals but was able to finish the game after initially being labeled as questionable to return. He logged 65 percent of the 49ers' defensive snaps in the victory and finished with two tackles. Given that he was able to return after getting hurt, there's reason to be optimistic that Williams will be able to suit up Sunday against Jacksonville, though his level of participation in practice this week should provide better insight into whether he'll have an injury designation heading into the weekend.

Williams (wrist) has returned to Sunday's contest against the Cardinals, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Williams exited the game in the second quarter with a wrist injury, but he has now returned to action. With Nick Bosa (knee) done for the day, Williams will have an increase in importance the rest of the way in Week 3.

Williams is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Cardinals due to a wrist injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Williams appeared to suffer the injury in the second quarter and was seen running to the locker room after being initially checked on by trainers in the blue medical tent. With Nick Bosa (knee) also questionable to return, the 49ers are down to Yetur Gross-Matos, Bryce Huff and Sam Okuayinonu as their defensive ends.

Williams (knee) practiced in full Wednesday, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

The rookie first-rounder ended up missing all three of the 49ers' preseason games due to a knee injury that he suffered in early August. Williams was able to log a full practice to open the week, indicating that he is on track to make his NFL regular-season debut against the Seahawks on Sunday. He's expected to see a prominent role on the 49ers' defensive front alongside Nick Bosa, Kalia Davis and Jordan Elliott.

Williams (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's preseason game against Las Vegas, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Williams is currently working through a knee injury, which also prevented him from playing in the 49ers' preseason opener against the Broncos. The injury isn't considered a serious one at this time, but the rookie first-rounder will aim to return to practice next week in order to be cleared to play in the 49ers' preseason finale against the Chargers on Saturday, Aug. 23.

Williams is unlikely to suit up for Saturday's preseason game against Denver after exiting Thursday's practice due to a knee injury, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan relayed after Thursday's practice that Williams will likely miss around a week, adding that the team hopes Williams hyper-extended his knee. Shanahan's language suggests additional tests may be needed to confirm the nature of the rookie first-round pick's knee injury. Williams dealt with an unrelated ankle injury earlier in training camp.

Williams (ankle) did not participate in Tuesday's practice, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

The rookie first-round pick is dealing with what the 49ers are calling a "minor ankle injury," which will likely limit him to sideline work with trainers over the coming week. Williams is projected to start at defensive end opposite Nick Bosa, so his absence will open the door for Sam Okuayinonu, Bryce Huff and Jonathan Garvin to get more opportunities to work with the first-team defense during team drills.

The 49ers selected Williams in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 11th overall.

Although Williams (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) is likely capable of starting Week 1, especially for a San Francisco defensive line in the midst of a rebuild, he's still early in his development and probably has more long-term upside than his Georgia box score might lead someone to believe. Williams will turn 21 on June 29, meaning he's at least a year ahead of schedule after otherwise serving as Georgia's lead edge rusher the past three years. If Williams trends toward his higher-range outcomes, he and Nick Bosa would likely prove a dominant duo.