Mykel Williams' first game back for the San Francisco 49ers was always going to be watched closely, and the early signs suggest the team are handling his return with care. After tearing his ACL to end his rookie season, Williams was eased into action in 2026 and played 23 snaps overall, a controlled role that reflected both caution and trust.
That workload lined up with what Kyle Shanahan said the team wanted from him. "Yeah, that was our goal to get him around that area," Shanahan said, after Williams was used on early downs and then taken out for sub-package football.
Shanahan sees a solid first step
Shanahan was upbeat about the way Williams came through the game. "I thought he did a real good job. It was a real good first game back. He didn't have any bad plays," he said. He also pointed to specific moments in which Williams showed awareness, adding: "He had two good plays of sniffing out a screen twice" and "I thought he had a real good first step for him coming back."
That matters because Williams is not being asked to do everything at once. The 49ers removed him from sub-package work and kept the snap count manageable, which is exactly the kind of approach teams often take with a player returning from an ACL injury. The bigger picture is not whether he is fully back yet, but whether the building blocks are there for him to grow into a larger role in the coming weeks.
Why the role matters for the 49ers
Williams was a former first-round pick, and the 49ers will want his impact to rise quickly once his body is ready for it. His best work as a pass rusher came when he was aligned inside in 2025, when he lined up along the interior defensive line for 54 snaps, a 14% rate. In Week 5 of this season, he did not have any snaps along the interior defensive line, which underlines how carefully the team are managing where and how he is used.
That gives the 49ers a clear decision to make over the next week or two. If Williams continues to look comfortable, the snap count can rise and the defensive usage can expand. If not, San Francisco can keep protecting him while still getting him back into football rhythm. For now, the debut suggests the recovery plan is on track, and the next two weeks should show whether the workload can move beyond a cautious opening step. For more on his early-season outlook, see Mykel Williams Pff Grade 49ers: 50.4 debut leaves questions after Seahawks outing and Mykel Williams Is a Long Shot for Week 1, but the 49ers Are Not Closing the Door.
