San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams is just 11 days away from his return to game action on the football field. His last NFL snap came on December 30, 2018. The seven-time Pro Bowler was traded from Washington to San Francisco in April, and he couldn't be happier about being reunited with head coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff.
"A lot of (these coaches), I've been knowing for the last decade," Williams recently told Mike Jones of USA Today. "So that kind of eased me into it. This team is full of great guys, easy to get along with, great locker room. I'm blessed to have that kind of environment, so that helped ease the nerves."
Williams reiterated how the 49ers were his No. 1 destination, something he shared back in May. The veteran has certainly lived up to the hype that preceded him stepping onto the practice field with his new teammates.
Before training camp, Williams was eager to face the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Nick Bosa. He already feels the second-year defender is on a trajectory to be one of the best pass rushers in the league.
"When it's all said and done, I think when you say, 'Who's the best pass rusher, all around D-end?' I think Nick Bosa may probably be the first name that comes out of a lot of people's mouths," Williams said last month.
Going against Bosa has certainly helped knock off some of the rust from not having played in nearly two years. What surprised Williams was how quickly the young pass rusher figured him out.
"It's very challenging," Williams told Jones of going against Bosa. "He very seldom gives you the same thing twice. He learns you extremely fast. He pretty much picked up on everything I did in the first three or four days. ... I'm just lucky to have him to help whip me back into shape and whip me back into game speed and really get some of the best work I'll have all season because he's easily top five."
Williams knows there is a lot of pressure this season. The entire team is laser-focused on one goal — winning the Super Bowl. That's something the 49ers came close to doing last season, and it's a mentality that Williams wasn't a part of for much of his career.
"Over here, there's a different aura of confidence," added Williams. "Everybody expects to be great. They expect to win. They expect to be in the Super Bowl again. It's a different feeling."
