A shocking injury to the 49ers rookie forces John Lynch into a high-stakes move just before the trade deadline.QQ
San Francisco 49ers v Houston Texans | Cooper Neill/GettyImages
The San Francisco 49ers got the win on Sunday against the New York Giants, but they may have lost yet another defensive lineman in rookie Mykel Williams.
This latest injury may force general manager John Lynch’s hand ahead of the trade deadline.
Williams went down with an injury late in the fourth quarter and remained down on the field slamming his hands against his helmet. Thankfully, he was able to walk off under his own power, but he went back to the locker room before the game ended and his body language was not great.
Mykel Williams heads to the locker room 🙏 pic.twitter.com/dxEOlSPRdi
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) November 2, 2025
Williams appeared to be walking gingerly and put his towel over his face which was not a great sign, especially for a team that has already been decimated every which way by injuries. After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team is worried Williams suffered an ACL injury.
The 49ers are already without Nick Bosa for the rest of the season due to an ACL tear. Then, they lost Bryce Huff to a hamstring injury, and it is unclear when he will be able to return. The fact that they may now be without the rookie Williams potentially for the rest of the season, puts them in a tough spot.
Williams is still learning the ropes in his first season out of the University of Georgia, but the first-round pick got his first sack a few weeks ago and has looked solid.
If San Francisco is without him for an extended period of time, Lynch may have no other choice but to go out and trade for an edge rusher. He already swung a trade with the New England Patriots for Keion White, but with all the team’s injuries, it would really help to have another reinforcement coming into the building.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Niners have had talks with the Miami Dolphins for edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and the Cincinnati Bengals for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
There are other teams out there like the New York Jets who have no chance at the playoffs and may be willing to part ways with one of their edge rushers.
Even if it is not a blockbuster trade for Hendrickson, the 49ers clearly need to add someone. They are just too decimated on their front four on defense to have any chance in the NFC playoff picture so Lynch needs to be working the phones like crazy to make a deal to help the team out.
