Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Pelissero: 49ers rookie RB Joe Williams headed to IR
Sep 2, 2017 at 11:25 AM
•
Tom Pelissero of
NFL Network is reporting that San Francisco 49ers fourth-round draft pick Joe Williams is headed to injured reserve with an ankle injury. According to the
Sacramento Bee, the existing injury was aggravated during Thursday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 49ers traded up to select the running back out of Utah with the 15th pick in the fourth round (121 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Through three preseason games, Williams has carried the football 18 times for 70 yards. He has also been the recipient of three passes for 13 yards.
For personal reasons, Williams decided to retire from football early in 2016 during his time with the Utes, but following injuries to Utah's running backs, returned and finished the year in the top 20 nationally with 1,420 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through nine games.
Williams was not on the 49ers' draft board heading into the draft. It took some soul searching and a phone call with Williams to
change the mind of 49ers general manager John Lynch, who was originally against drafting Williams because of his decision to leave the college game. Williams had left Utah after dealing with the grief of the death of his sister when he was 13 years old. Peter King of
TheMMQB revealed that Williams was diagnosed with manic depression following the devastating loss.
RELATED Will John Lynch argue to keep Joe Williams off the roster?
"It was just the process of going through that tragedy in my life and just understanding that taking that time away allowed me to deal with the grief," Williams told
NFL Network in May. "And when I came back, I just wanted to prove everybody wrong. You know -- family, friends -- just everybody that was looking at me. Everybody."
Williams went on to describe to
NFL Network what it was like speaking to Lynch during the draft.
"[Lynch] had called me about an hour before the clock starting ticking," Williams said. "It was just an honor just to speak to him on the phone, being a Bronco great. I loved the Broncos. (They were) my favorite team for just -- you know, 49ers are my team now. Just laying it all out in there for him. The entire story of my whole life and letting him understand that -- have the peace of mind that if he gave me the opportunity -- which he did -- to play for the 49ers. I'm just glad to be part of this organization and ready to go to work."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan campaigned for Williams on the day prior to Williams' selection. That is what kicked off Lynch's decision to revisit the possibility of drafting the running back.
Related News
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
?feature=share
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
49ers considered trading Mike McGlinchey last year
Mike McGlinchey received a life-changing payday, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos. The offensive tackle has known for a while that he would not return to the San Francisco 49ers, the only NFL team he has played for and the one that made him the No. 9 overall pick in 2018.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear to McGlinchey that he was likely playing his final months for the team. There was too much money invested in other spots, and the 49ers knew they couldn't compete with other interested teams.
Behind the scenes, Lynch and Shanahan kept McGlinchey in the loop of what the team was thinking, and everything pointed to the tackle playing elsewhere in 2023 … maybe even
Photo: Recovering 49ers QB Brock Purdy spotted by fan
Brock Purdy can begin throwing again sometime in June. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is expected to be ready to hit the field—practice or in-game—sometime in September.
Purdy is recovering from surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury sustained in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He hasn't been seen since the surgery, with his last public appearance taking place In Arizona, during the week leading to the Super Bowl.
One fan spotted Purdy, though, getting a photo with the 49ers quarterback (h/t TheSFNiners). As expected, Purdy is wearing a massive brace on his throwing arm,
49ers signing OT Matt Pryor, per John Lynch
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch sat down with reporters at the owners' meetings in Arizona on Monday morning. One of the tidbits he offered is that the team has signed offensive tackle Matt Pryor.
The #49ers signed OT Matt Pryor, general manager, John Lynch said. Prior has appeared in 60 games with 24 starts over four seasons with Philadelphia and Indianapolis.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 27,
