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San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams could ride off into the sunset as a Super Bowl winner after this season.
Williams considered retirement after last season’s NFC Championship Game defeat, and he will turn 36 before the 2024 season. Sports Illustrated All 49ers writer Grant Cohn, who has covered the team since 2011, highlighted Williams’ considerations last year as an indicator that Williams could call it quits this time around.
“So if the 49ers win the Super Bowl, he might consider that the best time to hang it up,” Cohn wrote. “We’ve seen Hall of Fame players retire after winning a Championship before.”
“Plus, Williams has earned nearly $250 million in his career. He’s not hurting for money,” Cohn wrote.
San Francisco (12-4) looks well-poised for a Super Bowl run with the No. 1 seed in the NFC locked up. The 49ers can also rest key players in Week 18 and be at full strength for the Divisional Round.
Baltimore (13-3) looks like the biggest obstacle to the 49ers winning it all. The Ravens routed the Miami Dolphins 56-19 less than a week after beating the 49ers soundly 33-19.
If Williams and the 49ers can get through the NFC and likely beat Baltimore, he can cap his 13-year career in style. A two-time All-Pro, Williams began his career with Washington as the No. 4 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft before he joined the 49ers via a trade in 2020.
Niners Must Keep Trent Williams
A durable force up front, Williams has played in at least 14 games every season with the 49ers and never less than 10 games in any year of his career. His absence was evident during his games missed in 2023 — three-consecutive losses in October when the offense sputtered to 17 points per game.
San Francisco already accommodates Williams to keep playing amid his six-year, $138 million contract. The 49ers allow adequate rest for Williams as a seasoned veteran, Cohn noted.
“The 49ers already let Williams sit out OTAs, minicamp and most of training camp. Plus he doesn’t practice on Wednesdays anymore either — he gets a veteran rest day,” Cohn wrote. “Which means essentially he just has to show up for the regular season, practice once a week on Thursday and do a Friday walkthrough.”
“As long as he can play the game at a high level without practicing much, which he can do right now, there’s no reason for him to walk away,” Cohn added.
Williams won’t become a free agent until 2027 with three years left on his deal. As Cohn noted, it’s prime time for the 49ers to keep Williams playing as quarterback Brock Purdy plays on a small four-year, $3.73 million deal until at least 2025.
Trent Williams Sends Message to Commanders
Williams reflected on his time in Washington after the 49ers beat the Commanders 27-10 on Sunday, and he talked about how he embraced his second chance at football.
“When they dealt me away for nothing, I still had a lot left in the tank,” Williams told reporters on Sunday. “I think maybe my layoff, battling cancer and stuff, I think a lot of people would think nobody could come back normal, especially at that age. I bet on myself obviously to go to a new organization, but it’s all part of God’s plan. I’m really thankful for my nine years, ten years here, and I think it just made me a better professional overall going to my next chapter.”
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