49ers’ Trent Williams noticing significant improvement in ankle

After having Wednesday off, Trent Williams returned to the practice field on Thursday. The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for this weekend's clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Williams had recently been sidelined since sustaining an ankle injury on October 15 against the Cleveland Browns, which caused him to miss the subsequent two games. He played through the lingering discomfort on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, estimating that his ankle was about 75 to 85 percent healthy after the game.

Four days removed from that game, Williams is feeling much better. When asked if the injury might be something he has to deal with for the remainder of the season, the left tackle stated, "No. It's already getting better."

Williams confirmed that he has noticed a significant improvement since Sunday's game, allowing him to fully participate in Thursday's practice.

A healthy Williams in the lineup will go a long way toward the 49ers finishing out the season how they want. Despite a recent three-game losing streak, the team still has Super Bowl aspirations, and their belief in themselves is unwavering.

"We definitely got a rude awakening," Williams said of the team's challenging stretch. "And luckily, it came in the middle of the season, as opposed to some of those must-win games down the stretch and then working into the playoffs."

San Francisco is currently an 11.5-point favorite heading into the Week 11 matchup against the Buccaneers.