Niners Nation
Seahawks veteran lineman Connor Williams has missed multiple practices this week for undisclosed reasons.
As the San Francisco 49ers gear up to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, their division rival seems to have some uncertainty surrounding an interior offensive lineman. Seahawks center Connor Williams did not practice with the team on Wednesday and Thursday for “personal reasons,” per the team’s participation report. The Seahawks have not provided additional context surrounding Williams’ absence, putting his status for Sunday in question.
Williams has started all nine games for the Seahawks this season, his first with the franchise. The seven-year veteran signed a one-year, $6 million contract with Seattle this offseason and has helped solidify the team’s offensive line alongside another veteran addition, former 49ers Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson.
If Williams is unable to suit up, or isn’t able to start, on Sunday, Seattle currently lists Jalen Sundell as their backup center on the depth chart. Sundell was an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State, where he primarily played left tackle, but he has moved to the interior offensive line as a pro. While Sundell has appeared in four games this season, the vast majority of his snaps have been on special teams. In fact, he has played on just one offensive snap thus far this season.
Given the Niners talented defensive front, 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorenson and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek would surely love an opportunity to attack a rookie center on Sunday.
Both Seattle and San Francisco are hoping to begin reasserting themselves atop the NFC West standings with a divisonal win this weekend. While the Arizona Cardinals currently lead the division with a 6-4 record, the 5-4 Niners and 4-5 Seahawks are far from out of contention. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 PM Pacific at Levi’s Stadium.
