Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Williams tore his ACL during the fourth quarter of Sunday's 34-24 win over the Giants, Matt Barrows and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report.
Shanahan noted that there was some damage to the lateral meniscus in Williams' knee but no other ligament damage beyond the ACL, which means the rookie first-rounder has a chance to be available for the start of the 2026 campaign. It's yet another season-ending injury for the 49ers defense, with Williams stepping into a larger role on the defensive line after Nick Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3 against the Cardinals and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner lost for the season after dislocating and fracturing his right ankle in Week 6 against the Buccaneers. Fellow defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will miss at least three more games while on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, but veteran Bryce Huff (hamstring) is expected to return from a two-game absence against the Rams in Week 10. In the absence of Bosa, Gross-Matos and now Williams, the 49ers will rely more heavily on the likes of Huff, Sam Okuayinonu, Clelin Ferrell and Keion White (who was traded by New England to San Francisco this past Tuesday) at defensive end. Barrows and Russini also note that the 49ers are looking to add to the position before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline and have shown interest in Jaelan Phillips (who the Eagles acquired from the Dolphins on Monday), Bradley Chubb and Matthew Judon.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Tatum Bethune: Career high in tackles in win
Rotowire
Bethune recorded 16 total tackles (eight solo) and a pass defensed in Sunday's 34-24 win over the Giants.
Bethune was able to continue building off of his recent momentum, securing a career-high 16 stops in Week 9. The middle linebacker has now registered an impressive 50 total tackles (21 solo) since replacing Fred Warner (ankle) as the team's starter early in Week 6 versus Tampa Bay. Bethune will look to keep up his high level of production in Week 10 against the Rams.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Mykel Williams: Possibly hurts ACL
Rotowire
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Mykel Williams might have injured his ACL in Sunday's win over the Giants, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Williams will undergo further testing Monday to confirm whether he suffered an ACL injury. If the 21-year-old is forced to miss extended time, Sam Okuayinonu would likely start at defensive end in his place.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Jordan Elliott: Cleared to play Week 9
Rotowire
Elliott (ankle) is active for Sunday's game against the Giants, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
Elliott's status for Sunday's game looked to be in jeopardy after he did not travel with the team Friday due to personal reasons. However, the 2020 third-rounder joined the team in New Jersey on Saturday and has been cleared to play after working through an ankle injury during Week 9 prep. Elliott has 16 tackles (four solo) through the first eight games of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Marques Sigle: Healthy scratch Sunday
Rotowire
Sigle (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Giants, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
The safety started the first seven games of the season and played on every defensive snap from Week 1 to Week 5, but he saw his playing time drop from 62 percent of the defensive snaps to 31 percent to zero over the last three weeks, following the return of Malik Mustapha (knee) from injured reserve. Jason Pinnock is serving as San Francisco's third safety behind Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Sam Okuayinonu: Good to go Sunday
Rotowire
Okuayinonu (ankle) is active for Sunday's matchup with the Giants, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
The defensive end suffered the ankle injury in Week 8 against the Texans and missed Wednesday's practice, but he was able to return for Thursday's session. On Sunday against the G-men, Okuayinonu should continue to fill in for Nick Bosa, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Okuayinonu has 22 tackles (10 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and a forced fumble on the year.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Dee Winters: Playing Sunday
Rotowire
Winters (knee) is active for Sunday's contest against the Giants, Briana Jeannel of the 49ers' official site reports.
The starting linebacker suffered the injury in Week 8 against the Texans and logged a couple of limited practices ahead of Sunday's matchup. Now that he's suiting up, Winters can be expected to resume his normal role, as he's played on most of the defensive snaps for San Francisco this season. The third-year pro already has a career-high 54 tackles (40 solo) on the year.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Jordan Elliott: Looks likely to suit up
Rotowire
Elliott (ankle) is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Giants, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Elliott looked unlikely to suit up in Week 9 after not traveling with the team to New York due to personal reasons. However, he's now expected to play through an ankle injury, though his official status remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Yetur Gross-Matos: Lands on IR
Rotowire
Gross-Matos (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Gross-Matos will miss his fourth consecutive game Sunday and will now be in line to miss at least three additional matchups thereafter. The 49ers are beat up along their defensive line, as they'll also be without Bryce Huff (hamstring), Nick Bosa (knee) and others in Sunday's matchup against the Giants.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Jordan Elliott: Not traveling with team
Rotowire
Elliott (ankle), who is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Giants, is not traveling with the 49ers to New York on Friday due to personal reasons, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Elliott didn't practice Friday after logging a pair of limited practices to begin the week, though it's not clear if his absence Friday was due to the personal issue. He remains questionable for Sunday's contest, so he could join the team sometime before that matchup. If Elliott is unable to play, Kevin Givens or Alfred Collins could draw a start.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Upton Stout: Cleared for Week 9
Rotowire
Stout (shoulder) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants.
Stout popped up on the injury report with a shoulder injury to begin the week after dealing with an ankle issue earlier in the season. He should be ready to take on his typical role as the 49ers' primary slot corner against the Giants on Sunday.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Yetur Gross-Matos: Remains out for Week 9
Rotowire
Gross-Matos (knee/hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Gross-Matos will miss a fourth consecutive game due to knee and hamstring injuries, though he was able to squeeze in a limited practice Thursday that was sandwiched between DNPs, and he'll look to progress enough in his recovery to return for Week 10 against the Rams on Sunday, Nov. 9. With Gross-Matos and Bryce Huff (hamstring) both out and Sam Okuayinonu (knee/hamstring) listed as questionable, the 49ers will turn to Robert Beal and recent acquisition Keion White to serve in larger roles at defensive end alongside starter Mykel Williams.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Bryce Huff: Out for Week 9
Rotowire
Huff (hamstring) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Huff will miss a second consecutive game due to a hamstring strain that he sustained against the Falcons in Week 7. He hasn't been able to practice since the injury, so he'll look to return in at least a limited capacity ahead of the 49ers' Week 10 NFC West clash against the Rams on Sunday, Nov. 9. Both Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos (knee/hamstring) have been ruled out for Week 9 and Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) is listed as questionable, so the 49ers may have to lean more heavily on Mykel Williams, Robert Beal and recent acquisition Keion White for snaps at defensive end.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Jordan Elliott: Questionable to face Giants
Rotowire
Elliott (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Elliott opened the week with back-to-back limited practices before sitting out of Friday's session to recover from an ankle injury he sustained in Week 8 against the Texans. His status for Week 9 may not be officially known until the 49ers announce their list of inactive players Sunday, but his absence would mean that either Alfred Collins or Kevin Givens would start at defensive tackle alongside Kalia Davis.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Dee Winters: Questionable for Week 9
Rotowire
Winters (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Winters ended the week with back-to-back limited practices to earn the questionable tag for Week 9, and his status for Sunday's game may not be officially known until the 49ers announce their list of inactive players approximately 90 minutes before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Winters is working through a knee injury he sustained against the Texans in Week 8, and if he can't play Sunday, then rookie third-rounder Nick Martin and Curtis Robinson would be the top candidates to start alongside Tatum Bethune and Luke Gifford at linebacker.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Renardo Green: Posts eight stops vs. Houston
Rotowire
Green registered eight tackles (four solo) during the 49ers' 26-15 loss to the Texans on Sunday.
Green was given the green light to play Week 8 after sustaining a toe injury in Week 7 against the Falcons. The issue didn't appear to bother the second-year corner, as he played every single defensive snap while finishing fifth on the 49ers in tackles. Green's eight tackles were his most of the regular season, and the 2024 second-rounder is up to 28 stops (16 solo) and five pass defenses through seven regular-season games.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Deommodore Lenoir: Haults in first INT of 2025
Rotowire
Lenoir registered three tackles (two solo) and one interception during the 49ers' 26-15 loss to the Texans on Sunday.
Lenoir was on the receiving end of an overthrown deep pass from C.J. Stroud that was intended for Jaylin Noel at the end of the first half. It was Lenoir's first interception of the season and first since Week 8 of the 2024 campaign against the Cowboys. The 2021 fifth-rounder has accumulated 29 tackles (21 solo) and three pass defenses through the first eight games of the regular season, which is well behind pace from his numbers in 2024 (85 tackles through 15 regular-season contests).
... See More... See Less
49ers' Sam Okuayinonu: Limited in return to practice
Rotowire
Okuayinonu (ankle) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Okuayinonu missed Wednesday's practice due to an ankle injury he picked up in Week 8 against the Texans, so his return to practice Thursday is a positive sign. He would avoid an injury designation ahead of Sunday's game against the Giants if he were to log a full practice Friday. Okuayinonu has logged 19 tackles (eight solo), including 1.0 sacks, over his last six games, and he has seen an increased role on defense after Nick Bosa sustained a season-ending torn ACL against the Cardinals in Week 3.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Dee Winters: Back at practice Thursday
Rotowire
Winters (knee) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Winters was labeled as day-to-day due to a knee injury he sustained against the Texans in Week 8. He's opened the week with a DNP-LP practice log, and his participation in Friday's session will determine whether he enters Sunday's game against the Giants with an injury designation. Winters tallied 11 tackles against Houston in Week 8, which was as many as he accumulated from Weeks 5 through 7.
... See More... See Less
49ers' Jordan Elliott: Limited participant in practice
Rotowire
Elliott (ankle) was a limited participant in San Francisco's practice Wednesday, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Elliott returned to practice Wednesday after exiting the team's Week 8 loss versus the Texans in the third quarter with an ankle injury. The 27-year-old should continue to serve as one of the 49ers' starting defensive tackles should he be able to suit up for the team's matchup against the Giants on Sunday.
