49ers’ Trent Williams remains among NFL’s elite—if he stays healthy

All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams has yet to complete a full season since joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. His missed time last season is cause for concern, as the seven games he sat out due to an ankle injury marked the most he's missed in a single year since 2017.

Since arriving in San Francisco, Williams had earned elite Pro Football Focus (PFF) offensive grades of at least 91.7—until last season. Still, his 85.6 offensive grade in 2024 was highly respectable, and his 84.5 pass-blocking grade remained consistent with previous seasons. Notably, Williams allowed just one sack through his 10 game appearances.

As Williams approaches his 37th birthday in a few weeks, some wonder if Father Time is catching up to the veteran offensive lineman. However, Pro Football Focus isn't ready to write him off just yet.

Analyst Ryan Smith recently named Williams among 10 late-career NFL veterans still performing at an elite level.

"Williams' 85.6 PFF overall grade in 2024 signaled a down year by his standards but still ranked seventh out of 81 qualifying tackles in the NFL," Smith wrote. "He was the highest-graded tackle in the league from 2020 to 2023, grading no lower than 91.7 in any of those seasons.

"Williams appeared in just 10 games last season while battling injury, playing his fewest snaps (649) since 2017. He will be 37 years old by the time the 2025 campaign kicks off, but if healthy, he remains one of the game's best at left tackle."

As for his NFL future, Williams isn't quite ready to consider retirement.

"I would love to play until I'm 40," Williams recently stated. "I would love to make it into that special group. But if it's not in my cards, it's not in my cards. But I'm gonna do everything physically possible. I'm gonna stay engaged."

He emphasized his determination, adding, "I'm definitely not going to retire with some left in the tank."