EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The 49ers are leaving the East Coast with a 34-24 win over the New York Giants but with another potential loss on the roster.
The team fears first-round 2025 NFL Draft pick Mykel Williams suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the game’s fourth quarter, and Clelin Ferrell, who just rejoined the 49ers at the beginning of the week, clearly is feeling the loss.
“Oh my gosh,” Ferrell said. “He’s just someone who is such a good dude, good spirit and he loves football. Any time you see someone like that, me being his teammate, I just know he cares about the game. It was a quiet moment on the field, but he will be good.”
Williams had been making steady progress in his acclimation to the NFL, with both coach Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh not wanting to put too much on his plate too quickly. Still, the rookie had been on the field for 356 defensive snaps (68 percent) before Sunday’s win over the Giants, gaining a lot of valuable experience.
Ferrell, a former first-round pick himself, could be seen chatting up Williams on the practice field throughout the week and was attracted by a unique characteristic.
“Mykel is someone who is obviously very attentive and likes to ask questions,” Ferrell said. “That’s something that is very rare in a young player. A lot of times you just want to show the the older guys that you got it already, but he’s someone who has no hidden agenda.
“He’s just a sponge. That’s the thing that made me get drawn in.”
Ferrell signed a one-year contract at beginning of the week and will do whatever is necessary while he is in the building, offering not only depth, but leadership to a depleted defensive line room.
The veteran pass rusher finished the game logging not only a sack of Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, but a quarterback hit and three tackles — one for a loss.
Without Nick Bosa for the season and Yetur Gross-Matos for at least four weeks, San Francisco hopes to see Bryce Huff return to the lineup ahead of their Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, along with contributions from Ferrell and Keion White, who was acquired through a trade earlier in the week.