The San Francisco 49ers admitted it was going to be a “long shot” for edge rusher and 2025 1st-round pick to play in the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Australia.
Now, the 49ers won’t even have Williams for the 1st month as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL suffered in Week 9 of the 2025 regular season.
49ers placed DL Mykel Williams on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List, meaning the former first-round pick will be sidelined for at least the first four games this season,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Sunday night.
Mykel Williams and Isaac Guerendo must miss the first four games but can resume practicing after Week 2,” The Athletic’s Matt Barrows wrote on X.
“DL Mykel Williams and RB Isaac Guerendo begin the season on PUP and must miss first four games,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote on his official X account.
Both 49ers Edge Rushers Coming Off ACL Injuries
Both projected edge rusher starters for the 49ers are coming off torn ACLs: former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa and Williams.
It’s not clear when either of them is coming back, although Bosa definitely has a shot to play in the opener. There’s been no such optimism for Williams.
“Shanahan now says Week 1 is ‘a longshot’ for DE Mykel Williams (knee) but ‘he is progressing well,’ ” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur wrote on his official X account on August 18.
Williams Called Out Over Rookie Year Struggles
Even before Williams tore his ACL in Week 9 of his rookie season, there were questions about his play.
The harsh truth is that the No. 11 overall pick wasn’t very good before the injury, and Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker put Williams at the top of his list of players under the most pressure to perform in Year 2.
“Williams was touted as a raw but high-upside prospect coming out of Georgia,” Locker wrote on July 7. “The 49ers took a shot on him with the 11th overall pick in 2025 but will need to see much more of the latter. Williams played only 385 snaps after suffering a torn ACL in Week 9, but the results were generally subpar. His 51.9 PFF pass-rush grade ranked 90th out of 95 qualified edge defenders, as he tallied just 19 pressures on an 8.8% pass-rush win rate. Despite his run-stopping prowess in college, Williams wasn’t dominant in that department either … after Bryce Huff’s retirement, the 49ers are counting on Williams to be a legitimate running mate for the returning Nick Bosa.”
49ers Get Bad Injury News on 1st-Round Pick Mykel Williams