SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the third straight day, San Francisco 49ers left sort out Trent Williams didn’t take part in follow Friday as he continues to get well from a proper ankle harm.
Williams, who suffered the ankle sprain within the second half of final week’s win towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers, is formally listed as questionable for Sunday’s NFC Championship Sport towards the Los Angeles Rams.
If that sounds acquainted, it is as a result of it’s. Williams had an elbow sprain main into the Niners’ Jan. 9 recreation towards the Rams. Regardless of midweek optimism from Williams and coach Kyle Shanahan, Williams was unable to play in that contest.
However that have has not modified Williams’ and Shanahan’s constructive outlook this time round.
“It is gonna be prefer it was three weeks in the past,” Shanahan mentioned Friday. “I really feel the identical means as I did at first of the week. He got here out for walk-through immediately and Trent is adamant that he is going. He was final time, too — which I imagine Trent when he says that. He’ll do every part he can to play and so I will be stunned if he does not, however I used to be stunned final time.
“I used to be additionally stunned he was in a position to end the sport towards Inexperienced Bay. So, hopefully his mindset will likely be how his physique reacts on Sunday and we all know it is going to assist us so much. But when not, we’ll cope with it.”
Earlier this week, Shanahan mentioned it was unclear the kind of sprain Williams had, noting that some issues wanted to be sorted out earlier than it was clear if it was a excessive or low ankle sprain. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who missed time in 2020 with a excessive ankle sprain, indicated Friday that Williams is coping with one thing comparable.
“He is doing every part he can, actually,” Garoppolo mentioned of Williams. “I’ve seen him in right here simply placing within the hours within the coaching room, finding out, all that stuff. Hopefully we’ll get him on the market, however we’ll see. These excessive ankles are by no means a enjoyable factor — I do know that from expertise.”
Though he did not follow this week, one potential constructive improvement was that Williams participated within the Niners’ pre-practice walk-through Friday. He was seen strolling off the sphere in a jersey — albeit slowly — with a member of the Niners’ coaching workers after that walk-through session.
If Williams is unable to play, backup Colton McKivitz, who changed Williams within the earlier recreation towards the Rams, will seemingly step in once more. McKivitz earned excessive marks for what he did in that recreation apart from a second-half sack yielded to edge rusher Von Miller.
“Colton was unbelievable that recreation,” Shanahan mentioned. “I used to be dwelling in hope pondering Trent was going to have the ability to go and discovering that out pregame and simply going proper as much as Colton and simply the look on his face, he seemed prepared. Trent and I each laughed and have been like, ‘All proper, we’re good.’ After which he went out and performed like that … Colton stepped it up enormous, and we would not be right here proper now if he did not play the way in which he did in that recreation.”
The Niners are slated to journey to Los Angeles on Friday evening, which is able to give Williams a bit of additional time to get well from the flight and proceed to get well from the ankle concern.
“Trent is a monster,” receiver Deebo Samuel mentioned. “You have seen that each one 12 months lengthy. I am not going to go an excessive amount of into element what the plan is, however as soon as we get there you will simply see.”
The one different Niners participant on the harm report going into Sunday is backup working again Jeff Wilson Jr., who’s listed as questionable with an ankle harm.