San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster acknowledged that Trent Williams' extended contract standoff may have affected his return to practice on Thursday. However, by Friday, Williams began to look like his usual self.
"Trent is Trent. He continues to be Trent," Foerster said after Friday's practice. "He gets out there, and I think as always, I think we've talked about before in getting guys ready to play, there's that push and pull of being full speed against somebody shoving on you. Yesterday got him a little bit, but today, he seemed much better, and tomorrow, he'll continue to push himself. We'll see how it goes."
There are concerns that it may take some time for Williams to fully regain his form after missing all of training camp and the preseason. If that's the case, the 49ers are confident in Williams' backup, Jaylon Moore, who has taken on significantly more reps due to the All-Pro's prolonged holdout.
Foerster has kept Moore almost exclusively at left tackle throughout training camp and the preseason, ensuring he gains valuable experience at the position—just in case. The coach hasn't ruled out the possibility of rotating between the two tackles.
"You'd like to think he's (Williams) going to play, but then again, it could be an 80-play game, and it could end up in a position where the guy can't do it," Foerster explained. "So, is it going to be a rotation? I don't know. We'll see how Trent does after tomorrow and see exactly what happens.
"Hopefully, Trent can play it out. If he can't, Jaylon definitely has had a good camp and is ready to go."
Even if a rotation isn't needed, it's uncertain whether Williams will be in top football shape to play every snap. Could the 36-year-old offensive lineman need a breather on the sidelines?
"Yeah, I would think so," Foerster responded. "We talk about it. Do you see Trent Williams over there on the bike pedaling while he is waiting for the next series? I just don't know. It just kind of seems weird. I don't know how we're going to do it.
"We'll see how it goes. It's a work in progress, but we've had a lot of discussion about it. We'll see what happens."
