SANTA CLARA — Mykel Williams is set to make his 2026 season debut on Sunday, and it can’t come soon enough.
The 49ers defensive lineman has been counting down the minutes until he can return to the field again, and on Wednesday, he shared how difficult it has been.
“I’m going crazy,” Williams said. “I’m losing my mind. I’m playing, but I’m ready to go. I can’t wait to play ball. I miss playing ball. It’s been almost a year since I played, so I just want to get on the field.”
Williams was just getting into the swing of his rookie season when he suffered an ACL injury during the team’s Week 9 win over the New York Giants. What made the wait even worse for the second-year defenseman was all the injuries to his position group.
All Williams wanted to do was help his team after seeing Nick Bosa, Alfred Collins, CJ West and James Thompson Jr. all injured.
“It killed me to see it unfold like this,” Williams said. “I’m just ready to get back out there. It doesn’t matter who it is, it could be anyone. I’m just ready to play ball. I’ve been sitting too long and I’m ready to go.”
Williams’ return from his season-ending ACL injury was made easier by the support of Bosa, who underwent several rehabilitation sessions. The young defender has relied on the All-Pro for everything, big and small, throughout his return from injury.
“Bosa has been great throughout my recovery process,” Williams said. “I leaned on him so much, and he would happily give me advice and tell me little things to do differently. He’s been through this twice already so it was nothing to him.”
The veteran pass rusher also helped Williams come off the field with a transformation to a leaner physique. The Georgia product reduced his sugar intake, including sacrificing his favorite dessert: peach cobbler.
Williams said that although his weight hadn’t changed, he noticed his body composition had changed. With plans to improve on his nine-game performance in 2025, getting stronger was a clear goal.
“I wasn’t happy with what I did there,” Williams said. “I know the type of player I am and I don’t think I represented myself well on tape last year. I just didn’t play up to my abilities. From getting down to the pads, to using the hands, to quick planning, to developing and being comfortable on the field on defense and moving around.”
Williams is now ready to prove all his hard work was worth it in the club’s divisional clash with the Seattle Seahawks. Will it take a few games for Williams to return to peak pass-rushing form or will he be able to make an impact immediately?
“We’ll see on Sunday,” Williams said with a smile.
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