The San Francisco 49ers secured a 34-24 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, improving to 6-3. However, the win came at a cost, as first-round defensive end Mykel Williams suffered a right knee injury late in the fourth quarter that the team fears is a torn ACL.
San Francisco returned to the win column with a solid performance against the Giants at MetLife Stadium, but the postgame focus quickly shifted to injuries plaguing the roster. Defensive end Mykel Williams, a first-round pick, went down with a right knee issue in the late stages of the fourth quarter. Coach Kyle Shanahan informed reporters afterward that the team fears Williams tore his ACL, which would sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Williams had contributed 19 tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits across eight games entering the matchup. This marks another blow to a 49ers defense already decimated by injuries. Key starters Nick Bosa (ACL tear in Week 3) and Fred Warner (ankle injury in Week 6) are out, while Yetur Gross-Matos and Tarron Jackson remain on injured reserve. Even among available players, Bryce Huff sat out with a hamstring injury, and Sam Okuayinonu (ankle), Jordan Elliott (ankle), Alfred Collins (shoulder), and Kalia Davis (hand) dealt with ailments this week.
The offense has faced similar challenges, with quarterback Brock Purdy limited to two games due to turf toe, tight end George Kittle on short-term injured reserve after a Week 1 hamstring issue, wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall missing time, and Brandon Aiyuk still recovering from an ACL tear last October. Despite the attrition, San Francisco has started 6-3 for the second time in three seasons, relying on depth players like Mac Jones at quarterback.
Shanahan's squad now braces for further tests amid what has become a war of attrition, testing their resilience as the season progresses.