49ers’ Williams has high ankle sprain, out weeks

DENVER — The San Francisco 49ers can be with out two extra key starters for a minimum of the following month due to accidents left deal with Trent Williams and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair suffered in Sunday night time’s loss to the Denver Broncos.

Coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned Monday that Williams will seemingly miss 4 to 6 weeks with a excessive proper ankle sprain and that Al-Shaair may miss about eight weeks with a sprained MCL in his proper knee.

Neither participant is predicted to require surgical procedure, in keeping with Shanahan. A extra exact timetable for Williams will not be identified till the swelling in his ankle goes down.

“Excessive ankles are often, they are saying 4 to 6 [weeks] however typically they are often sooner and typically they are often longer, in order that’s why we did not have a precise date,” Shanahan mentioned. “It is too early to inform.”

Due to what Shanahan known as “fairly unhealthy” swelling, the Niners additionally will wait to determine on whether or not to put Williams on injured reserve. Shanahan famous that groups solely get a sure variety of gamers (eight) who can go on injured reserve and are available again after 4 weeks per season. And since San Francisco already has a minimum of three gamers who may return from injured reserve (operating again Elijah Mitchell, security Jimmie Ward and finish Jordan Willis) and certain should use a fourth spot on Al-Shaair, it might desire to not achieve this with Williams.

“We hope we do not have to,” Shanahan mentioned. “You solely get so a lot of these and we wish to be certain that we save these. … We’ll see the way it goes. If it finally ends up being we’re leaning in direction of longer, we would should make that call.”

Al-Shaair’s state of affairs is clearer-cut as a result of his harm is similar to the one Mitchell suffered in a Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears.

“[It’s] similar to what Elijah did,” Shanahan mentioned. “I do know we gave Elijah — our guess was round eight weeks.”

Williams was harm with 9:53 left within the third quarter after Broncos defensive deal with D.J. Jones rolled into the again of his proper leg. A cart was introduced out to take Williams to the locker room however he declined it and hobbled to the tunnel with the assistance of Niners medical personnel.

Al-Shaair’s harm got here with 4:43 left within the second quarter.

The Niners initially known as upon Jaylon Moore, a fifth-round choose within the 2021 NFL draft, to step in for Williams however later switched to Colton McKivitz, who was a fifth-round selection within the 2020 NFL draft. McKivitz is probably going the following man as much as substitute Williams and would have been first towards the Broncos had he not been coping with an ankle harm of his personal final week in apply, in keeping with Shanahan.

The 49ers are additionally anticipating to get lineman Daniel Brunskill again in apply this week after a hamstring harm value him the primary three video games, although Shanahan indicated he will not be a candidate to switch Williams.

“I might count on McKivitz to go,” Shanahan mentioned. “That is in all probability what would have occurred final week from the start if he did not get banged up in apply and miss all these reps. Most definitely it will likely be that and hopefully we get Dan again to presumably assist us out inside.”

Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles stepped in for Al-Shaair towards the Broncos, posting three tackles within the loss.