49ers’ second-year DE Mykel Williams finished last season in Week 9 after suffering a torn ACL. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, HC Kyle Shanahan said Williams is still considered a “long shot” to be ready for the season opener.
Williams failed to make a huge impact for San Francisco as a rookie, recording just one sack, and it’s unclear how much the edge rusher will contribute in the early weeks, as he’s nine months out from a serious knee injury.
He remains on the team’s Physically Unable to Perform list and would miss the first four games of the season if he’s still on the injured list at the time of final roster cuts.
“He’s further away than those other guys you guys just asked about, but we do think he’s close. I do think Week 1 would be a long shot, but we haven’t ruled it out yet. But, he’s progressing very well,” Shanahan said, via Dylan Grausz of NBC Sports.
Williams, 22, was considered one of the top prospects in the 2025 draft class and drew comparisons to Bills DE Gregory Rousseau.
The 49ers used the No. 11 overall pick in round one on Williams and signed him to a four-year, $24,905,620 contract that includes a $14,753,176 signing bonus. The contract also includes a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
During his three-year college career at Georgia, Williams appeared in 40 games and recorded 14 sacks, 41 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a recovery and four pass defenses.
In 2025, Williams appeared in nine games for the 49ers and recorded 20 tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery.
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