The 49ers’ Week 3 injury mess only got worse against the Cardinals, and this time it hit one of the most important players on the roster.
San Francisco was already dealing with problems at wide receiver and along the defensive line when the home game turned into another setback-filled afternoon. Head coach Kyle Shanahan watched two more key players go down: wide receiver Mike Evans and left tackle Trent Williams.
Evans’ ribs injury is something the team will have to keep an eye on, but Williams is the bigger concern. That’s especially true with the offensive line’s depth not viewed as a real strength heading into 2026.
The 49ers lost Evans just before halftime, though they were still comfortably ahead of their NFC West rival at the time. Not long after the break, Williams left the field and was later seen being carted off.
The good news, at least as far as the early reporting went, is that the injury may not be as bad as it looked. Fox reported that the future Hall of Fame left tackle suffered a stinger and was questionable to return. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later echoed that update:
Trent Williams has a stinger and is questionable to return today. https://t.co/mARPRyyYiS
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 27, 2026
Still, it’s another brutal chapter in a season where the injuries keep piling up for San Francisco.
Behind Williams, the depth chart gets thin fast. Vederian Lowe is the main swing tackle, but that is a steep drop-off from Williams. Shanahan likes to run his tailbacks to the left side of the line, and Williams has been a major part of why the 49ers’ ground game has been so effective since he arrived in 2020.
For now, the hope is that Williams’ issue stays limited to Sunday and doesn’t linger beyond the Arizona game. That matters even more with Denver and Seattle coming up in the next few weeks.
Given the score, it also wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco simply kept Williams out for the rest of Week 3 and let him recover with an eye on the week ahead.
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