The San Francisco 49ers are still recovering from their overtime Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — and the future of several players on the 2023 roster — remains in question moving forward.
Trent Williams, who been one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen over the last decade, first with the Washington Commanders and now with the Super Bowl-entrant San Francisco 49ers, will turn 36 this summer.
He will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, with all of his All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections on his resume.
Hall of Fame OL Walter Jones says he sees a younger version of himself when watching Trent Williams.
And when Jones watches San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, he sees a younger version of himself.
“All linemen, the great ones, they have people they look up to,” Jones told FOX Sports. “For me, I looked up to Anthony Munoz. So, for this kid to look up to me and say that’s the guy that I watch, that’s something I talked about all the time as far as setting a standard and knowing that someone is watching you at all times. For him to be wearing that same number just because of that, that’s pretty amazing.
“But it’s all about being consistent and doing the things you have to do to be prepared to play because you are one of the guys that are labeled one of the superstars on that team.”
The San Francisco 49ers star grew up idolizing Jones, even switching to No. 71 like the former Seattle Seahawk. Williams, 35, is considered the NFL’s best left tackle and was visibly emotional heading into his first Super Bowl last week.
“It would be like one of those fairy tales,” Williams told reporters this week, when asked about winning the Super Bowl. “It’s like something you can only dream about. It’s hard to even describe what that feeling would be like because I’ve never felt that feeling before. But I would imagine it would be a memory that we would remember for life.”
Unfortunately Williams and the 49ers fell short, so now there are questions about whether the veteran offensive linemen might hang up the cleats.
San Francisco 49ers LT Trent Williams Has No Plans On Retiring
Five years ago, Williams wasn’t sure he would make it to this point. He was diagnosed with Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans, a rare form of skin cancer. Told by doctors to get his affairs in order, Williams had surgery to remove the life-threatening cancerous growth from his scalp. Several scalp reconstruction procedures followed, leaving open the question of whether he would play football again.
“Sometimes you feel invincible, and I think I was at that point in my life,” Trent Williams told reporters when asked about dealing with life-changing adversity. “It was a perfectly timed storm. I appreciate it, and it definitely changed my outlook on everything. I probably wouldn’t be the man I am today without going through that.”
The 6-5, 320-pound Williams prevailed through eight months away from the game for healing and recovery. And since joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 via trade from the Washington Commanders, Williams has been a dominant force along the offensive line. An 11-time Pro Bowler, Williams was selected to the All-Pro first team for the third time this season.
#49ers OT Trent Williams has already said he plans to return for another season in 2024. He confirmed that again today. Retirement not in the plans for Williams right now.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) February 13, 2024
On Tuesday, the 2023 49ers cleaned out their locker rooms and met with reporters for the final time this season. When asked about potential retirement, Williams made it clear he plans to be back in 2024.
