Mykel

Williams

Williams entered the weekend as questionable after being limited in practice all week. Now, the Niners DT will officially be active for a pivotal NFC West showdown against the 3-1 Seahawks. While Williams is active, the Niners did declare DL James Thompson Jr., LB Tatum Bethune, DL Nick Bosa, OL Enrique Cruz Jr., QB Kurtis Rourke, FB Kyle Juszczyk, and S Marques Sigle inactive for Week 5.

Williams is officially listed as questionable, though he is expected to take the field for the first time since tearing his ACL in Week 9, during this 2025 rookie season. His return could not have come soon enough. The 49ers’ defensive line has been hit hard by injuries this year. The 49ers correspondingly released DL Ogbo Okoronkwo to make room on the active roster.

Williams wasn’t eligible to return in Week 4 because of reserve/PUP list rules. It appears that he’ll have a real chance to go against Seattle in what figures to be a drag-out battle between two of the NFC West’s best.

The 49ers will have their stud left tackle active on Sunday. 49ers LB Dre Greenlaw (quad bruise) is questionable to play. 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa (calf) and DL Mykel Williams (knee) have both been ruled out.

Williams tore an ACL during his rookie season last year. He will resume practicing for the first time today. Before suffering the injury, he totaled 19 quarterback pressures, 13 tackles and one sack. He will be eligible to play in Week 5 against the Seahawks at the earliest.

Williams is still recovering from an ACL tear from last November. The 49ers will start him out on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning the second-year pass rusher will miss at least the first four games of the season. Without the 2025 first-round pick in the pass-rush rotation to start the year, the 49ers will rely on Keion White to try and fill the void.

This is unfortunate. The second-year pass rusher seemingly had a chance to play right away, but the team is apparently adjusting its expectations. Williams, 22, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in November. Whenever he makes it back, he will provide a decent boost to the 49ers’ defensive line.

Williams suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 last season and was seen doing resistance bands workouts at the team’s facilities last month. The second-year pass rusher totaled 11 tackles, four TFLs, and one sack in his rookie season before going down, and is one of a handful of players the Niners are hoping to have back on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran pass rusher Nick Bosa (knee), who also suffered a torn ACL last season, is also working his way back to the field and said he is “pretty far along” in his recovery. If either player is unable to go by the start of camp, they will likely be added to the PUP list with a chance to be activated when they clear all medical and conditioning tests.

Multiple league sources tell Bonsignore that the Raiders would revisit the idea of trading Crosby away “if the right offer was made.” According to Bonsignore’s sources, the 49ers could make a play for him if they so desire. The Raiders nearly traded Crosby to the Ravens earlier this offseason, but the Ravens cancelled the deal due to concerns over a “degenerative issue” in his knee. Per Bonsignore, if Crosby “returns to terrorizing Raiders’ practices during training camp, he’ll put all concerns to rest,” and “the Raiders will be flooded with calls from interested teams.” The 49ers hope to make a Super Bowl run this season. Adding Crosby to their pass rush makes sense. Williams, the 49ers’ EDGE in reference, is currently recovering from a torn ACL and it is unclear whether he will be able to play in Week 1. At 22 years old, he is more of a long-term option anyway, and the Raiders are currently rebuilding. This framework is interesting and could work well for both sides. Stay tuned.

Fellow EDGE Nick Bosa (also knee, also ACL), who suffered his injury six weeks earlier, is expected back for Week 1. It sounds like Williams is in more doubt. Based on that, it’s certainly possible the second-year EDGE player starts training camp on the PUP list. 49ers beats saw Williams doing side-to-side movements and working with resistance bands at rookie minicamp, so he’s certainly active, but he still has several hurdles to clear in his rehab before a return is on the table.