In April, the San Francisco 49ers traded for offensive tackle Trent Williams thinking he would be part of the team's upcoming Super Bowl run. While things haven't gone as planned, the veteran offensive lineman has proven to be a valuable acquisition during a season thrown upside down by injuries and COVID-19.
Williams is scheduled to become a free agent after this season. Obviously, the 49ers would like to lock him up for the foreseeable future. Williams joined the 49ers Insider Podcast this week and was asked about his NFL future.
"I've never been in that position before to even where I was close to being a free agent," Williams told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm looking for, but I know what I'm not looking for. I guess I'd go more off of that than what I'm looking for."
Ok, so what is Williams looking to avoid? This contract could be his last in the NFL, so some checkboxes need to be marked off.
"Obviously, I don't want to go and have to rebuild," Williams explained. "I don't want to have to be a part of a toxic situation. I just want to be with a bunch of like-mind fellas who (feel) winning is the most important thing, just trying to continue to build legacies and thrive as a team. Today, if that's not the most important thing, I don't think that's the right place for me."
Without naming the organization specifically, it sounds like Williams is describing his former team and the 49ers' opponent this weekend — the Washington Football Team. He obviously feels as though he landed in a better situation, despite how this season has unraveled.
"I love my teammates. I love this locker room," Williams shared. "Everything about the organization has been first class from the day I stepped in the facilities. I'm just happy. I'm happy I was able to get a fresh start. I'm happy that they believed in me after an 18-month layoff.
"To bring me in and to put me as their starting left tackle, I'm grateful for that. I couldn't think of a better place to try to start my comeback, or whatever you want to call it, than San Fran, where I have a coach who saw me cut my teeth 10, 11 years ago. So I thought it was just a perfect opportunity for me."
As for his former squad, Williams doesn't have any hard feelings. He's actually excited to see some familiar faces in person this weekend. After all, the pandemic has prevented him from getting together with his old teammates.
"I'm just happy to see those guys," Williams said. "Just like I love those guys in this locker room, I had that same bond with those guys in that locker room for the last 10 years."
Williams still keeps tabs on his old teammates, especially those he worked with along the offensive line. That includes names like Morgan Moses, Brandon Scherff, and Chase Roullier. He watches them as much as he can, enjoys seeing them grow, and takes a lot of pride in knowing that he helped them during their careers.
"I talk to Moses all the time. I talk to Brandon all the time," Williams added. "And that's just a few. I talk to a lot of those guys in the locker room a lot. So, there is no ill-will towards Washington. I'm going to compete like I do any time we go onto the football field but it will be cool competing against a lot of guys who I used to compete with."