After not practicing on Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams was on hand during Thursday’s session.
Williams hasn’t played since the first snap of Week 17 when he injured his hamstring.
After getting nearly two weeks of rest, it’s a good sign that Williams is testing out his injury, especially after Kyle Shanahan was unsure of his future status on Wednesday.
How important is Trent Williams to the 49ers? They had the third-highest outside zone rate in the NFL. Last week was the first time all season the offense didn’t have a rush at or outside of the tackles. Week 8 was the last time they had single-digit outside zone attempts. It’s tough to quantify how much Williams means to what the 49ers can do offensively.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was also seen jogging on the side of the field:
Pearsall being in a jersey is notable, as the reporters leave after 15-20 minutes. That’s a sign that Pearsall will practice, or at least test out his knee and ankle injuries once the media leaves.
Linebackers Dee Winters and Luke Gifford were not seen practicing, nor was Keion White. Winters would be a big loss, given his replacements weren’t on the roster until Thanksgiving-ish. But White would be a crushing blow to a defensive line that has little depth or pass-rush help on the edge. White has been relatively productive in Yetur Gross-Matos’s absence.
The media also saw Fred Warner doing sprints on the side and some workouts. The 49ers need to win to give Warner a chance to play next week.
When Robert Saleh spoke with the media on Thursday, he said Eric Kendricks and Garret Wallow were starting at linebacker.
