49ers Will be Without Trent Williams and Azeez Al-Shaair for Several Games

Trent Williams and Azeez Al-Shaair are expected to be out multiple weeks with injuries sustained in the loss to the Broncos.

The loss to the Broncos just gets worse and worse for the 49ers.

Star left tackle Trent Williams suffered a high ankle sprain and will be out for multiple weeks. The same goes for Azeez Al-Shaair who has an MCL sprain and will miss several games as well.

"The swelling's pretty bad, so high-ankles are usually, just for everyone, they say four-to-six (weeks)," said Shanahan on Williams' injury. "But sometimes it can be sooner and sometimes it can be longer. So that's why I didn't give an exact date, too early to tell.” 

Williams being placed on Injured Reserve is a wait and see action for the 49ers for now. Al-Shaair, I would expect, is likely going to be placed on it since eight games is the rough estimate of time he will miss. Despite being a very solid linebacker on the defense, the 49ers can overcome the void left by Al-Shaair. It was on display last night when he went out for the rest of the game as the defense did not skip a beat.

Losing Williams on the other hand is a significant loss. He is by far the best player on the offense and the team. With a quarterback such as Jimmy Garoppolo who can't move, this becomes a major concern for the offense going forward. It makes success running the football an even greater exclamation so that it can ease defensive looks to throw the ball. But that is a huge IF when it comes to success in any facet of the offense with Williams gone.

Jaylon Moore stepped in for Williams and it did not bode well. Colton McKivitz is expected to be the substitute with Williams on the mend. Had he not been dealing with an ankle injury himself, then he would've filled in instead of Moore.

"I'd expect McKivitz to go," Shanahan said. "That's probably what would have happened last week in the beginning if he didn't get dinged up in practice and missed all those reps, but most likely it'll be that. And hopefully we can get Daniel Brunskill back to possibly help us out inside.”

Either way, the offense is bad shape right now with Williams out.