SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco’s head coach Kyle Shanahan has indicated that star left tackle Trent Williams is likely to be ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a slow recovery from his ankle injury. Williams has not participated in the last four games, and with the 49ers’ playoff hopes dwindling at 6-8, there is growing concern over his inability to return to practice this week.

This situation has sparked discussions about the potential benefit of sidelining the 36-year-old tackle for the rest of the season in order to prepare him for the next. “If he can get back to healthy we would play him,” Shanahan remarked. “But it’s not like that right now. So it’s getting closer to being that way.”

As the team gears up for their upcoming game against Miami, they are also without running back Isaac Guerendo, who sustained a hamstring injury during last Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Guerendo had stepped into the starting position due to injuries sidelining both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason.

Additionally, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was limited in practice following his first game back since tearing his left Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl, as he deals with some knee soreness. Greenlaw’s return prompted the benching of De’Vondre Campbell, who chose not to participate in the game on Thursday. As a result of this, Campbell was suspended for the final three games of the season for conduct deemed detrimental to the team.

Shanahan explained that they had reviewed Campbell’s history before recruiting him, especially noting his past complaints about usage while with Green Bay. The decision to sign Campbell came only after they had pursued other players, like Eric Kendricks, who opted to sign with Dallas instead. “We obviously made a mistake,” Shanahan acknowledged. “It’s not something you don’t look into. You look at everything and you weigh the risk and reward…. By no means was it our first option.” Despite their intention, the move did not yield the desired results for the team.

During Greenlaw’s return to the lineup, he showcased the impactful presence the defense had been lacking. He recorded eight tackles in the first half and added a necessary physical element to the run defense. His teammate Fred Warner praised Greenlaw’s performance, stating, “The way that he moved on (Thursday), you would never have known that he went through that. This guy’s unbelievable.”

In other updates, defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique), safety Malik Mustapha (chest, shoulder), offensive linemen Jaylon Moore (hip), and Nick Zakelj (illness) were all anticipated to have limited participation in practice as they prepare for the next game.