The San Francisco 49ers were without future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams in Week 18 against the Seattle Seahawks. Williams suffered a hamstring injury on the first offensive play of the previous game against the Chicago Bears, forcing him to miss most of that contest as well.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that Williams will be closely monitored throughout the week as the 49ers prepare for the postseason.
Quarterback Brock Purdy, however, sounded confident that Williams will be back in the lineup when San Francisco travels to Lincoln Financial Field to face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round.
Speaking with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Purdy was asked how important it would be to have Williams available for the playoff opener.
"It'll be huge," Purdy said. "Obviously, just what he brings to the table for our offense. I think Austen Pleasants did a great job stepping in, but obviously, Trent is a Hall of Famer, and just his presence of being there in the run game, the pass game, you just feel him out there.
"And his leadership in the locker room and stuff, too. He's a guy that everyone gets behind, and we follow his lead. So, to have him back for the playoffs is going to be huge."
Williams' potential return would be especially significant with the 49ers set to face a physical defensive front.
"They've done a good job with shutting down offenses all year, getting off the field on third down, and then attacking you in terms of their front, getting after quarterbacks," Purdy said of the Eagles' defense. "So, gotta be disciplined, gotta be able to go through my reads, and find a way to win."
Purdy also addressed a minor setback he suffered late in the Week 18 loss to Seattle, when he experienced a shoulder stinger. He said there have been no lingering effects.
"Obviously, it sucked finishing the game with that, and having that, but woke up the next day, and today, it feels great," Purdy said.
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