GETTY Arizona Cardinals star Chandler Jones struts off the field against the Tennessee Titans.
When San Francisco 49ers star tackle Trent Williams went on ESPN recently, he got on to the topic of Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones.
Jones has been a force of nature for the better part of the past decade with the Cardinals and the New England Patriots. With four Pro Bowl selections and two First-Team All-Pro spots, Jones has been wowing NFL fans while being a thorn in the 49ers side.
Williams has had an equally impressive career at tackle, now spending the past two seasons in Santa Clara and not losing a step. So when Williams visited the Dan Le Batard Show and Jones came up, it was all respect.
“I think Chandler Jones is the cream of the crop when it comes to outside linebackers,” Williams said. “When it comes to pass rusher, I definitely don’t think there’s anybody in the NFL that keeps me up at night like he does. We have that type of repore where we can compete at a high level and still talk to each other in a joking manner or whatever.”
That’s high praise for one of the NFL’s best, by one of the NFL’s best. Williams just added his ninth Pro Bowl selection this year, and very well could end up in the NFL Hall of Fame.
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Chandler Jones Responds to Trent Williams
The program shared their interview with Williams on Twitter, tagging the 49ers tackle and the Cardinals edge rusher. Jones didn’t hesitate to respond to Williams’ comments, and it’s clear it’s all respect between the two like Williams explained.
“Appreciate these words coming from a player like you! Big respect @TrentW71″ Jones replied in a quote Tweet.
Jones is in the middle of another impressive season with the Cardinals, although his production has fallen slightly according to Pro Football Reference. The former Syracuse star put up a jaw-dropping five sacks in Arizona’s season-opening win against the Tennessee Titans, but then had five straight weeks without one.
The back half of his season has been more consistent with 4.5 in a seven-game stretch. It may not be the 17 and 19-sack seasons we saw from Jones in 2017 and 2019 respectively, but it’s still another positive season. That also includes a sack against the Niners in the Cardinals 31-17 back in Week 9.
Trent Williams Among 49ers to Be Selected to Pro Bowl
As mentioned above, Williams received his ninth Pro Bowl honors this year, which is still staggering to consider. But he isn’t alone this year, as four other San Francisco players were selected as well.
Edge rusher Nick Bosa represents the defense, but Williams’ offensive teammates make up the majority of the selections. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk rounded out the 49ers’ five Pro Bowlers.
It’s an impressive achievement for an offense that is clearly talented, but hasn’t quite lived up to its star power in the win column or the stat sheet. The 49ers are 8-7, and they’re also currently ranked 14th in the NFL in points scored per game, per Team Rankings.