Willis and wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. are inactive for San Francisco, while Seattle's leading receiver, rookie Doug Baldwin, is playing despite a sore ankle.||||||| Willis missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury.

Willis said Wednesday that the latest crackdown on dangerous and flagrant hits will make it difficult for him and other players to do what they do best.||||||| Willis already is having a tough enough time this season without having to worry about increased restrictions. The linebacker, who has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, is off to the slowest start of his four-year career. "I thought as a defensive guy you're supposed to hit," Willis said. "You shouldn't get in trouble or fined or get a flag for just playing football."

Willis and the Niners agreed to a five-year contract extension Tuesday that takes him through the 2016 season.||||||| This is another big offseason splash by new San Francisco personnel chief Trent Baalke, who took charge after general manager Scot McCloughan's abrupt departure in March. Locking up Willis for the long haul makes sure the 49ers keep their defensive leader after they bolstered their offense in the draft with two top linemen.

Willis has undergone surgery on his right knee to remove an inflamed fluid sac that kept him out of this year's Pro Bowl.||||||| The 49ers said the surgery, considered minor and done about a week ago, was performed by Dr. Tim McAdams and Dr. Gary Fanton at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics in nearby Redwood City. The team will not put a timetable on Willis' return, but he isn't expected to be sidelined for long. The team will adjust his offseason conditioning and regimen as he rehabilitates.