49ers left tackle Trent Williams’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams is up in the air after he tested positive for COVID-19 according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
Williams on Friday was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for a second time. The first instance was before the 49ers’ Thursday night game vs. the Packers when he was labeled a close contact with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who’d tested positive.
Graziano reported Williams is feeling okay and believes he’ll be fine. The league’s COVID-19 protocols could put Williams’ availability in jeopardy even if he isn’t experiencing symptoms of the virus. He’ll need to be cleared by a team physician and test negative before returning. The timeline for a return following a positive test varies, which may mean he’ll still be in the COVID-19 protocol when the 49ers take the field against the Rams on Nov. 29.
Williams missed all of last season in part because of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, which is a cancerous growth that developed on his skull. Williams told reporters last year the cancer nearly cost him his life. Since he’s considered high-risk as a cancer survivor, the team may take extra precautions before clearing Williams to play.
In the event Williams is unavailable, it would likely be second-year tackle Justin Skule starting in his place.