Mykel Williams was back on the field for the San Francisco 49ers in 2026, and the first step of his return was a controlled one. After tearing his ACL to end his rookie season, Williams played 23 snaps in Week 5, or 36% of the defensive snaps.
That is the number fans were looking for because it showed the 49ers were easing him back rather than throwing him straight into his old workload. Kyle Shanahan said that was the goal, and he said Williams had a real good first game back, did not have any bad plays and even flashed on two screen looks.
The snap count also matters because Williams is being asked to rebuild his role in stages. In 2025, the 49ers aligned him along the interior defensive line for 54 snaps, a 14% rate, and that interior work was part of what made him useful as a pass rusher. In Week 5, though, he did not get any snaps there at all, and the 49ers leaned on him early before taking him off the field for sub-package football.
That split tells the story of where he is in the comeback. Williams had two tackles and one pressure, which is solid for a player making his first appearance after a major knee injury, but the staff clearly wanted to protect him from a heavier load while still seeing whether his first step and recognition were back.
Shanahan’s praise was direct, and it came with the kind of caution that usually follows an ACL return. He said Williams had a real good first step coming back, which fits with the idea that the 49ers are watching how he moves before they restore the interior-rush role that once gave him some of his best reps. For now, the team is managing him while the next phase of the front also starts to take shape.
The next test should come soon. The 49ers are expected to get Nick Bosa back in the next week or two, and Williams should be closer to a full-time player in the next two weeks. If that happens, his Week 5 debut may end up looking less like a comeback cameo and more like the first marker on a much larger return.
