K'Waun Williams, one of the best slot corners in the league, came off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday, the day before the San Francisco 49ers' regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. He did not play in that game, though. A report from NBC Sports Bay Area indicated the cornerback wasn't feeling well enough to do so.
Williams has not been listed on any practice participation reports this week, leading to the assumption that he has been a full participant and should play in Sunday's playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan isn't revealing anything at this point.
"K'Waun's one of the top nickels in the league. We'll see for Sunday," Shanahan said on Friday when a reporter tried to get the coach to reveal more about the cornerback's status.
"You're always trying to trick me," Shanahan added.
The reporter then asked Shanahan if he understood Williams' reasoning for not being available for the crucial Week 18 game. The coach gave the impression that the cornerback's health may not have been the only obstacle. Missing a week's worth of practice may have contributed.
"I understood it. Everybody has their reasons," Shanahan responded. "I've known K'Waun for a while. K'Waun is very meticulous and a regimented guy. And there's a lot of stuff that he missed, and his body didn't feel right going through all that. In the situation we were in, he didn't feel it was right for him to go. And if K'Waun feels that way, we know K'Waun pretty well.
"You guys can watch how K'Waun plays the game. You never question K'Waun. And he did put a lot into it, trying to go, and he did not feel right, [or] that he was in a good spot to go on Sunday. So we fully supported that, and it was next man up, and we needed a number of them."
The 49ers opened the practice window for returner/running back Trenton Cannon, who suffered a concussion on December 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. The team could have him available on Sunday.
"He's cleared to go," Shanahan said. "He was able to practice this week, and from a health standpoint, he's fine. And just from a mental standpoint, I think it really helped him to get into practice this week, trying to do some stuff, so he feels comfortable with it. We'll see how the 48 pans out but he's definitely an option for us."