The San Francisco 49ers lost a painful battle against the Denver Broncos on Sunday night in Week 3, and things only got worse on Monday. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed star offensive lineman Trent Williams suffered a high-ankle sprain, and while he won't require to repair the injury, he will be sidelined for a significant chunk of time. According to Ian Rapoport, Williams figures to miss around a month of action while recovering from the ankle sprain, in what is a huge loss for the 49ers.
#49ers All-Pro LT Trent Williams has a high-ankle sprain, coach Kyle Shanahan said. No surgery, but those usually require a month of rehab at least.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 26, 2022
Williams is one of football's best left tackles and a key cog in the 49ers' pass protection. Jimmy Garoppolo will be far less secure in the pocket for the next month with Williams on the sideline.
While no official timetable was given for Williams' return, Rapoport notes that a high-ankle sprain typically requires at least a month of rehab before a player is able to return to action. Based on that estimate, the Niners won't see Williams until late October, more likely November, at the earliest.
Williams has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past nine seasons and was named to the All-Pro First Team last year for the first time in his career. Not having him in the trenches will be a critical loss for the 49ers, and will make things more difficult for Garoppolo as he looks to lead the Niners' offense.
Trent Williams featured in 100% of the 49ers' snaps in the first two weeks of the season, but his injury knocked him out after he featured on 38 snaps on Sunday night, good for 68 percent of the team's total.
With the 34-year-old likely unavailable for the foreseeable future, Colton McKivitz figures to be elevated into a starting role at left tackle.
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