The San Francisco 49ers nearly escaped MetLife Stadium without any injuries. Then rookie defensive end Mykel Williams went down.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan immediately after the game told reporters the club feared a torn ACL for the No. 11 overall pick. That was confirmed Monday when Shanahan spoke with reporters on a conference call.

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Shanahan said the knee injury came with additional damage, but overall there was some optimism about Williams’s long-term recovery.

“I believe there was a lateral meniscus also,” Shanahan said. “For however it’s worded, it was a good one. I mean, it wasn’t perfect because there was a lateral meniscus. But, they feel good about it. He’ll come back with, his career will be fine from it. It’ll heal great.”

Williams was the defensive line’s leader in snaps played at 385 while starting all nine games he played. He posted one sack and 20 tackles, and his presence helped bolster a 49ers run defense that was dreadful a season ago. There’s still some development for Williams to undergo, but Shanahan had a positive early review of Williams overall.

“I’m really happy with Mykel,” Shanahan said. “I would do the exact same thing over again. I just hurt for him. I was loving watching him battle through all this stuff. He battled to get back in the season after an injury in training camp. He’s been playing a long time since then. You know, I thought he was a guy who kind of needed a Bye Week more than anyone. So, I’m just really disappointed that he is not able to really continue developing through this year because I believe we got a hell of a player who’s going to really figure this out in the run game and the pass game. He still will, but I hurt for him that he isn’t going to do that over the next half of this year.”

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It’s unclear how long Williams will be out, although the timing of his injury indicates he may not be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Either way, the 49ers would be wise to play it slow with Williams after selecting him with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft. He’s a key cog in their future and ensuring he’s fully healthy once he returns will be paramount.

A good early prognosis is a great sign for the 49ers.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers DE Mykel Williams knee injury update from Kyle Shanahan