Trent Williams is a week away from becoming a free agent. The San Francisco 49ers would like to prevent that from happening. The team would love to re-sign the eight-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle that it traded for last offseason.
What would it take? Williams offered hints this week while speaking to Richard Sherman and George Chahrouri on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast, which Sherman co-hosts.
"I'm thinking this would be a longer deal," Williams said. "Not longer, but a four- or five-year deal that I'm probably looking at. I'm 32 now. I'll be 33 in July. I feel like I can play at a high level well into my (late) 30s, maybe early 40s. I don't know. I ain't gonna make no promises."
Williams has played in the league since the Washington Football Team drafted him No. 4 overall in 2010. He didn't play in 2019 and was traded to San Francisco during last year's draft for a fifth-round draft pick in 2020 and a third-round pick in 2021.
Williams started 14 games in 2020, missing one game due to COVID-19 and the season finale due to an elbow injury. The offensive lineman will be highly-sought, should he hit the open market. Sherman predicts that Williams will be the most in-demand free agent. Of course, the cornerback also predicted that Williams would return to the 49ers. The tackle liked the prediction, indicating that he would more than welcome staying with San Francisco—at the right price.
Whatever deal he signs, Williams doesn't believe it will be his last.
"I ain't gonna say this is my last one because, at the end of this contract, I could be 37," Williams said, "and I could be the same age as Jason Peters was a couple of years ago, and they may still want me to come and play left tackle. Somebody may want me to play left tackle for them, so I wouldn't X out that possibility.
"I'm definitely poised for another, in my opinion, six seasons that I can play at a high level. That's kind of how I'm looking at it."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Williams below.
Comments