San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Mykel Williams has a torn ACL injury:
I believe there was a lateral meniscus also, but they said it was, however it’s worded, but it was a good one. I mean, it wasn’t perfect because there was a lateral meniscus, but they feel good about it. His career will be fine from it. It’ll heal great.
Shanahan said he had no regrets about drafting Williams and would do the same thing over again. That doesn’t mean there isn’t disappointment about Mykel’s injury:
I’m just really disappointed that he’s not able to really continue developing through this year because I believe we got a hell of a player, who is going to really figure this out in the run game and the pass game. And he still will, but I hurt for him that he isn’t going to do that over the next half of this year.
The 49ers must replace 66 percent of the snaps Williams played through the first half of the season. Shanahan expects Keion White and Clelin Ferrell to pick up the slack. Here’s what he said about that duo taking over Mykel’s role:
“Yes. Yeah. I mean, Keion definitely shows a lot of inside rush potential. And Cle, we’ve done both in the past, but both of them were up playing a big role yesterday before Mykel got hurt. So, obviously with Mykel getting hurt that only becomes stronger.”
Bryce Huff is expected back
Shanahan said, “We expect to get Huff back this week, so it’s good to get another one back.” Huff missed two games with a hamstring injury. Against the Falcons, Huff was a dominant pass rusher. The 49ers will need his presence moving forward.
Huff’s role could grow with the lack of edge rushers on the roster. He’s at his best when he is playing the pass and is fresh, but the team may not have the opportunity to limit Huff’s reps. Of course, adding a body, or two, within the next 24 hours could change that.
Jake Brendel could play this week
Shanahan said the team is hoping Jake Brendel can play against the Rams: “We’ll see on Wednesday. He’s got to go through a couple more things here tomorrow, before it can for sure be Wednesday, but he’s got a chance.”
This was effectively the third game Matt Hennessy started. Hennessy has had his issues in pass protection, and did not fare well against the Texans, whether it was the run or the pass, but he was good enough for the offense to function in two of the games, and you can’t ask for much more than that from your backup center. With that said, some of the busts in protection are unlikely to happen if Brendel were on the field.
Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk may have to wait another week
The 49ers do not plan to open Brandon Aiyuk’s practice window this week as the star receiver continues to recover from a torn ACL and MCL injuries he suffered in October 2024.
As for Ricky Pearsall, Shanahan said, “They couldn’t confirm today he’d be available this week, so we’ll take it day by day, but we’ll continue to evaluate him as this week goes.”
For what it’s worth, Shanahan said Pearsall is in the same boat as Brendel, suggesting he’s more optimistic his second-year wide receiver plays in Week 10.
It’s why any talk of trading Jauan Jennings made little sense. This is a team that was already thin at wide receiver, and there was no concrete evidence that Aiyuk or Pearsall would return soon.
Jennings played 52 of the 66 snaps in Week 9. Kendrick Bourne played 49, while Demarcus Robinson was on the field for 22 snaps. Jordan Watkins and Skyy Moore each played eight snaps.
