EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams will make his 2026 debut Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, a little less than a year after tearing his ACL and suffering meniscus damage in his right knee.The 49ers will activate Williams, who returned to practice last week, from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday, coach Kyle Shanahan said. Although Williams is questionable on the injury report, he's slated to play."He's had a good two weeks," Shanahan said. "It was good last week, and this week's been even better. Ready to get him back out there on the field."The Niners made a move to clear a roster spot for Williams on Friday, releasing defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo, who could return to the practice squad.Williams initially injured his knee on Nov. 2, 2025, in a game against the New York Giants. That ended his rookie season after just nine games in which he averaged 45 snaps per game and posted 20 tackles and a sack while working as an edge rusher on early downs and moving inside on obvious passing downs.This week, Williams said he came back leaner and quicker once he recovered from the knee injury. Fellow end Nick Bosa helped Williams through his recovery as he, too, was going through a similar process.Williams said it has been particularly hard watching the first four games this season as the Niners have lost Bosa (calf), defensive end Sam Okuayinonu (foot) and defensive tackles Alfred Collins (patellar tendon), C.J. West (knee) and James Thompson Jr. (high ankle sprain) to injuries."I'm losing my mind," Williams said. "I'm ready to go, though. I'm excited to play ball. I miss playing ball. It's been like a damn near a year since I played. I just want to get back on the field."Williams plugs back into an end rotation that also has Keion White, Khalid Kareem and rookie Romello Height as options. Shanahan said Williams won't have any specific workload limitations as he returns."When he's out there, he'll be full go," Shanahan said. "We rotate our guys and understand it's his first game, but we've got to see how it goes."Elsewhere on the injury report, Niners receiver Mike Evans (ribs) does not have a game designation and is good to go against the Seahawks. Bosa, Thompson, fullback Kyle Juszczyk (knee) and safety Marques Sigle are out.Cornerback Upton Stout (shoulder) is questionable after practicing on a limited basis Thursday and but not Wednesday or Friday.
