San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is one of the greatest offensive linemen of his generation—and possibly in NFL history. But as he prepares for his 15th NFL season, questions about retirement are beginning to surface.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports recently named 10 NFL players who could be entering the final season of their careers. Williams made the list, as age and injuries could soon begin to factor into the veteran's future.
"Trent Williams is a sure-fire Hall of Famer whenever he's up for consideration, but he keeps laughing at Father Time," Sullivan wrote. "He's set to turn 37 years old before the start of the 2025 season, which would be his 15th in the NFL. Despite being so long in the tooth, he's widely considered one of, if not the best, left tackles in the game today.
"Williams did miss a chunk of last season, however, as he was limited to just 10 games due to an ankle injury. If the injury bug continues to bite him in 2025, that could be the precursor to him finally hanging it up."
That said, Sullivan believes Williams isn't done just yet. His prediction: Williams will continue playing beyond the 2025 season.
Williams himself recently addressed the topic of retirement, sharing that he has no intention of stepping away from football anytime soon. In fact, the 49ers' blindside protector is aiming high, possibly playing into his 40s.
"I would love to play until I'm 40," Williams said earlier this month. "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."
Williams stated that he's doing everything possible to play as long as he can and knows he has a lot of football left in him.
"But I could play until I'm 41. Who knows?" Williams continued. "But that is a goal of mine. I'm definitely not going to retire with some left in the tank."