The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive line and wide receiver rooms have been seriously depleted by the old injury bug so far this season. Coming into Week 1, they were already without two key players at both position groups: defensive end Mykel Williams and wide receiver Christian Kirk.
Williams was the No. 11 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia, and it was hoped that he would develop into a stud. But he had a quiet rookie year that ended prematurely when he tore his ACL in Week 9. He started this season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, although he was able to return to practice last week.
Kirk was signed as a free agent this offseason. The 29-year-old’s production fell sharply over the last two years, but he’s a capable weapon at the wide receiver spot who went over 1,000 yards while with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.
On Monday, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan gave injury updates on both men.
Williams and Kirk could be inching toward a return
Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN, Shanahan said that Williams will continue to put in work this week and that the hope is that he’ll be able to play this Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. This Sunday’s game will be the first one that Williams will be eligible to return for.
Wagoner also reported that Shanahan hopes Kirk will be able to start practicing next week.
As of now, Niners defensive linemen Nick Bosa, Sam Okuayinonu, Alfred Collins, CJ West and James Thompson Jr. are also out of action. At the wide receiver position, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson and Ricky Pearsall are unable to play, while veteran Mike Evans is dealing with a rib injury.
Evans played on Sunday against the Denver Broncos despite his injury, and while he was visibly uncomfortable, he caught five passes for 76 yards. Through four games this season, he has 17 receptions, 213 yards and two touchdowns.
The 49ers, of course, have a 4-0 record, and while they saw star fullback Kyle Juszczyk go down with a knee injury on Sunday, he is expected to miss only two or three weeks with a sprain and bone bruise.
