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49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh met with the media today, and used the press conference to announce Ian Williams was out for the year with a broken ankle. Harbaugh said he had surgery today, and it sounds like he will be placed on injured reserve in the near future. Harbaugh said the team would consider their options in moving forward. They cannot sign Will Tukuafu or Lamar Divens because they were waived/injured. They could potentially sign Mike Purcell off the practice squad, or they could find someone off the street.
Coach Harbaugh also indicated that Eric Reid was not showing any concussion symptoms today. That is very good news, but also just one step in the process. Having suffered the head injury, Reid enters the NFL's concussion protocol. Stephania Bell broke down the protocol in discussing Eddie Lacy's concussion:
He will have to be free of symptoms both at rest and with exertion; his neurocognitive (ImPACT) tests will need to return to baseline; and he will need to be cleared by both team physicians and an independent neurological consultant.
He would appear to be through the first part, being free of symptoms while at rest. The next step will be to go through an individual workout and be asymptomatic after that. The 49ers medical director, Dr. Dan Garza, works at Stanford and has been involved in concussion education and treatment. Based on what I've seen, he's an ideal guy to have to get through this process. There is nothing to be gained by rushing Reid back, but if he can get through a workout without symptoms and get cleared by team physicians and an independent neurological consultant, that's all we can ask for.
Finally, Coach Harbaugh stated that the team was checking out Vernon Davis' hamstring today. I think Wednesday's practice participation report will give us the first real glimpse at where he stands.