The San Francisco 49ers have lost another defender to a season-ending ACL tear.
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First-round pick Mykel Williams suffered what was thought to be a hyperextended knee in the 49ers win against the Houston Texans. Following the injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan stated there was a deep fear that the rookie suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Now, it appears those fears have been confirmed by a top NFL insider.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler stated on X that Williams did suffer a season-ending ACL tear.
“Testing revealed a torn ACL for 49ers rookie DL Mykel Williams as head coach Kyle Shanahan feared, per source,” Fowler wrote on X.
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This is terrible news for the 49ers, who have now lost three players to season-ending injuries. Williams will join Nick Bosa and Fred Warner as players that have seen their 2025 seasons cut short.
Williams was a bit of a conundrum for the team, as he struggled through the beginning of the season, only appearing in nine games and securing 20 total tackles and one sack. The former Georgia product was meant to help boost the team’s pass rush, but he did not make the impact the team may have been hoping for.
Williams’ struggles on defense were highlighted by NFL insider Brian Baldinger, who spoke about it on 95.7 The Game a week on Tuesday.
“He doesn’t look like he’s got the takeoff you need to win on the edge,” Baldinger said. “He almost looks like he would be better inside in a three-technique where he can use his size, and length, and his strength better than he does on the outside right now. That’s what it looks like to me.”
Williams is in his first season, and there is plenty of time for him to rebound and become a threat in the pass rush. However, he will now spend the next year or so recovering.
The rookie defender will spend the rest of the season undergoing surgery and recovering from the ACL tear. The usual case for these types of injuries is a year of recovery, though some players need more.
The hope for the 49ers would be that Williams can recover far quicker and be ready for the start of the regular season in 2026. This is a tough situation for the rookie defensive end.
For more on the 49ers, head to Newsweek Sports.
