Nearly 11 months after he suffered a broken leg in a loss at Seattle, 49ers nose tackle Ian Williams has been cleared to return to the practice field.
The club announced Tuesday that the 24-year-old Williams has been taken off the active/physically unable to perform list.
According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, Williams underwent four surgical procedures on his injured leg. A fourth-year pro from Notre Dame, Williams suffered the injury in his first career regular season start.
By activating Williams, the Niners do not gain a roster spot, as he already counted against the 90-player limit. However, now Williams can start to get the on-field work he needs after almost a year away.