Getty Trent William suited up for the San Francisco 49ers.
When Trent Williams let it be known that he was thinking about retirement shortly after the San Francisco 49ers‘ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, it sent more than a few fans into disarray. Not only had Kyle Shanahan’s squad lost one game away from the Super Bowl for the second-straight season, this time without a quarterback who could throw the ball for much of the contest, but suddenly, one of the team’s top overall players was thinking about hanging up his cleats with four more years left on his contract? Fortunately, Williams was asked about his uncertainty by Grant Gordonof NFL.com at the Pro Bowl, and he let it be known that he will not, in fact, be retiring in 2023
“Yeah, for sure,” Williams told NFL.com at the Pro Bowl. “Next year, the year after. I’m under contract until I’m 39 [years old].”
While Williams’ contract may not look particularly good when he’s making $34 million at 39, right now, John Lynch is certainly happy to have his left tackle back in 2023, as he graded out as the team’s top overall player in 2023 according to Pro Football Focus.
Trent Williams Comments on the Frustrating End to the 2023 Season
Elsewhere in his conversation with NFL.com, Williams was asked about how it felt to close out the 2022 NFL season without a healthy quarterback under center.
“I really kinda just got frustrated in the time,” Williams said. “We’re playing without a quarterback [which] is already frustrating, and losing one of the biggest games of your life. I think I just let my temper boil over a little too much. Like I said, my intentions was to break it up, I didn’t go over there looking for a fight.”
Even if it’s understandable that Williams got frustrated with how his season came to an end, he will hopefully learn that fighting other football players isn’t the answer, as he was fined $12,731 for unnecessary roughness for his on-field altercation with K’Von Wallace.
The San Francisco 49ers are Happy to Have Tren Williams
Speaking on the topic of Williams’ retirement during his exit interview, Shanahan was asked if he expected to have his left tackle back in 2023 and gave a very eliminating response.
“Yeah, I do, but if everyone had to do a press conference and talk for a while after these games, I’m sure we’d say a lot of things that didn’t tell you guys exactly everything that’s going to happen for the next eight months, but I didn’t read his words as that’s a big thing for him,” Shanahan said via 49ers Webzone. “I know Trent loves football. I know it’s very hard at his age, in any situation, to do what you do for that long and come up short, but I’d be really surprised if Trent wasn’t fired up in a few weeks.”
Fortunately for Shanahan, it looks like it didn’t take Williams multiple weeks to decide he wants to continue on with his football career, as the 34-year-old has officially shut the rumors he spurned on himself once and for all.