The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line has been thinned by injury for most of the young season, yet the 49ers are still unbeaten and now expect one of their most promising edge rushers back in the lineup.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR that Mykel Williams should be available Sunday when San Francisco visits the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Williams, the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft, opened the year on the physically unable to perform list while he recovered from a torn ACL. He sat out the first four games, then returned to practice last week.
Shanahan described that first week back as solid and this week as better still, and said the Georgia product ought to be ready for the trip to Seattle.
General manager John Lynch, also speaking on KNBR, framed the return as significant.
He called Williams an extremely talented and tough player who showed real awareness as a rookie and was only beginning to show what he could become.
Lynch said the club gave him extra time for his own sake and the team’s, that Williams has worked hard through a long stretch on the sideline, and that he still has to finish the week—but the organization is eager to see him.
The need is obvious. Alfred Collins is out for the season with a knee injury, and Sam Okuayinonu broke his right foot before Week 1, though he could return later.
Rookie James Thompson Jr. suffered a high ankle sprain against Miami in Week 2 and is not expected to play in Seattle. C.J. West landed on injured reserve on September 23 with a bone chip in his knee that requires surgery.
Nick Bosa, the All-Pro edge rusher, hurt his calf in practice before the Week 3 game against Arizona. He was not placed on injured reserve, but he is unlikely to face the Seahawks.
Even so, the 49ers held Denver to 14 points and sit at 4-0. Williams played nine games as a rookie before the ACL tear ended his season.
At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, he finished with 20 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and three quarterback hits. He was already sturdy against the run.
What remains less certain is how consistently he can rush the passer, and that question matters against Sam Darnold.
If Shanahan’s read of the week holds, San Francisco will get its first look at that answer on Sunday, with a depleted front that has held up so far and a first-round edge rusher finally cleared to help.
