The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most injured teams in 2025. After losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries, the team may have lost another.
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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters about injuries following the team’s win, and he revealed there is a deep fear that first-round pick Mykel Williams has suffered a torn ACL.
Per multiple reports, Shanahan indicated that Williams is likely out for the season, but the team will give him an MRI to confirm. There were major concerns for Williams’ head after the injury, and now the rookie will presumably miss most of the 2026 season if it is confirmed that he did suffer a torn ACL.
The typical nature of ACL injuries is a year of recovery, though that all depends on whether it is confirmed and how Williams responds to treatment and recovery.
This is a truly heartbreaking moment for Williams and his first season in the NFL.
Williams was drafted by the 49ers at No. 11 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Georgia. The former Bulldog impressed highly in college with 14 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 67 total tackles through three seasons in college.
Naturally, this led to the 49ers drafting him in the first round to shore up the defensive line and add an even bigger element to the pass rush. The issue is that Williams has only appeared in eight games in 2025.
Williams was in Week 9, and the hope was that he would take a major leap, but he suffered a knee injury in the game. The initial thought was that he suffered a hyper-extended knee, but Shanahan has revealed that he may have suffered a full ACL tear.
The 49ers defense cannot afford another lost player, but they will have to move forward without Williams. There were multiple reports that the team was aiming to target a pass rusher ahead of the trade deadline, and that might be the case even more now.
San Francisco has been tied to Miami Dolphins star Jaelan Phillips, and the front office could now make a bigger swing at landing the pass rusher.
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