Trent Williams on the underdog 49ers, Purdy’s trajectory, and his NFL future

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Generally when Trent Williams talks in regards to the future, he sounds a little bit weary and perhaps like he will not be in a 49ers uniform defending the blind aspect for very for much longer.

Generally you assume it is a looming emergency for the 49ers they principally are ignoring. Generally you image them with out their future Corridor of Fame left deal with after this season or the one after that, and also you marvel if every thing in regards to the 49ers’ offensive line is headed towards a steep precipice. Swiftly.

However then there are occasions like Thursday after follow, when the 37-year-old Williams plopped down in a PR workplace, smiled, chuckled, and appeared like he was refreshed sufficient to play one other decade. Properly, a minimum of one other a number of years, which is ideal for the 49ers, as a result of Kyle Shanahan instructed me at the beginning of coaching camp that he sees this as Yr 1 in a brand new three-year aggressive cycle for this franchise.

And I am fairly positive this presumes that No. 71 is more likely to be on the market blocking for Brock Purdy and everybody else by all of it.

“I like to listen to that,” Williams instructed me on my podcast. “Bodily, I do not really feel totally different. And I do know guys will not even be capable of fathom that till they get round this age. However not solely did I get this age, I form of did issues proper. I really bust my ass each offseason …

“As a result of I put the work in, I can see myself going one other three years — not saying that it will not be any drop off or not saying I will be the identical particular person at this time as I will likely be in three years. However I can see it. I can fathom it. That actuality does not appear too far-fetched, in my view.”

Williams added that he is really aiming for 5 extra years, to go nicely into his 40s, however mentioned he has to take it 12 months by 12 months. He does not wish to play poorly. He desires to be the identical important a part of the 49ers that he is been since he arrived in a fleecing of a commerce with Washington in 2020. And clearly the 49ers can have a say, too.

Plenty of this, in fact, will likely be decided by Williams’ well being as he goes by this season and past. Whereas holding out for a brand new deal, he missed all of coaching camp final 12 months however performed the primary 10 video games final season at his regular All-Professional degree. Then Williams suffered his second ankle damage in two seasons and missed the final seven video games, whereas the 49ers’ season burned into bits. Which was the primary time he hasn’t been voted to the Professional Bowl in his 49ers profession. He and his spouse, Sondra, additionally tragically misplaced their son, Trenton Jr., who was stillborn, in November after beforehand dropping his twin earlier in her being pregnant.

This summer season, Williams is again along with his teammates and clearly relishing the camaraderie and work. He positively appears to have misplaced some weight, could be very bouncy whereas blocking, and is flourishing in Shanahan’s accomplished-veteran schedule of two days of follow then someday off.

And like his teammates, Williams had extra break day after final season as a result of the 49ers had been performed so early — a form of hole 12 months following the consecutive deep runs into the playoffs after the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons.

“I did not use a whole lot of tread on tires final 12 months, so to talk,” Williams mentioned. “And coming off of a lot downtime, I needed to hit it arduous this offseason to, form of, you already know, show to myself that I can nonetheless go on the market and do the identical issues that I have been doing, exercise smart. And since I really feel like when you’re capable of do these issues, that’ll most likely carry over to the soccer discipline.”

So Williams is getting the best degree of competitors potential in his battles with Nick Bosa in follow, watching Mykel Williams and the opposite rookie standouts of their first NFL camps, and again envisioning higher occasions for the 49ers after the 6-11 collapse final season.

The entire spiral began when Christian McCaffery surprisingly needed to go on injured reserve hours earlier than the regular-season opener — and the accidents by no means stopped. Which led to all of the frustration and all the losses. Then at the beginning of the offseason, the 49ers traded away Williams’ good good friend Deebo Samuel to the Commanders, traded Jordan Mason to the Vikings, and misplaced Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Aaron Banks, and Jaylon Moore in free company. Even now, the 49ers are with out Brandon Aiyuk and Malik Mustapha whereas they get well from knee accidents.

So the 49ers are underdogs proper now, and Williams is loving the brand new place for this crew.

“Everyone will look and say, ‘Oh, you misplaced this All-Professional, you misplaced that All-Professional, you do not have this particular person, this man, getting older,’ this and that,” Williams mentioned. “However in my view, we’re in the identical boat; now we have all of the expertise.”

Williams went on to recommend it is a favorable place to be in.

“Everyone’s gonna form of bat an eye fixed at us as a result of we do not have Greenlaw. Deebo is not with us anymore. I am 37. It is a whole lot of stuff that persons are going to tug at and say, ‘Oh, I do not assume this may be the identical crew.’ However actually, that is the way you need it, proper? You do not need the bull’s-eye in your again each week you go on the market, all people’s (pondering), ‘Oh, right here comes the most effective crew within the league.’

“So the truth that all people’s form of sleeping on us, the truth that we completed final in our division, so it offers you a good schedule going ahead, I feel all of that performs into our palms.”

Williams has praised Jed York up to now for offering the money it took to assemble and maintain this star-studded roster collectively for so long as it lasted. And Williams is not essential of the 49ers’ cash selections final spring. The savviest gamers principally might see this all coming.

However emotionally, what was it like to observe all of his teammates exit the door?

“Clearly, you by no means wish to see gamers that may contribute to you profitable the championship stroll out the door,” Williams mentioned. “However the enterprise is a enterprise, and it is at all times been that method. Dre Greenlaw is sort of a brother to me. Deebo is sort of a brother to me. I like to see these guys go get the cash they deserve, discover the houses that is mutually agreed upon. … Clearly, you’ll need them to be right here, however … that is simply not the truth of the NFL.”

Who is aware of how they will all maintain up within the common season — or over a number of seasons — however the 49ers’ practices look totally different this summer season as a result of their high 4 draft picks are unimaginable to overlook. Day-after-day you see one thing dynamic out of Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, Nick Martin, Upton Stout, or CJ West. Or from a number of of them.

However Williams mentioned the ambiance across the 49ers is similar as it has been for years — led by a lot of the identical guys. And that the younger gamers are becoming into that spirit.

“I would not say totally different, as a result of, you already know, I feel the tradition has stayed the identical,” Williams mentioned. “The message has stayed the identical. Clearly, we bought new blood within the locker room, going straight protection in a whole lot of within the draft, a whole lot of these guys are anticipated to assist us from Day 1. So by that, finally, you get youthful.

“However no, I simply assume, I imply we’re underneath the identical management, the identical captains driving the boat.”

And oh yeah, there’s Purdy, who Williams singled out as a rookie, after Purdy was famously the final choose of the 2022 draft and beat out Nate Sudfeld to grow to be, at that time, the 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback.

Since then, Purdy’s made the Professional Bowl, gained a number of playoff video games, gotten to the Tremendous Bowl, and made performs in a Tremendous Bowl. And some months in the past, Purdy landed a $265-million deal that modified his household’s fortunes for generations and, by the best way, cemented his standing because the 49ers’ most important determine for years to return.

“Each time I take a look at Brock, I simply smile, man, as a result of, like, this was not in his playing cards,” Williams mentioned. “No one would have ever mentioned, ‘Hey, this Mr. Irrelevant goes to be one of many highest paid quarterbacks within the league.’ … However that is why, after I take a look at him, identical to, ‘Rattling, bro, you actually did it. I am uber-proud of you, bro.’…

“Going from there and to now, to the place you are it is like, man, you bought no worries. Now it is time to go, accomplish all of the objectives we set out. Now it is time to go be within the operating for NFL MVP. Go win a Tremendous Bowl. Go get Tremendous Bowl MVP — like all of that’s now in entrance of you. Nothing holding it again. No parachutes, no nothing. You possibly can go full, full pressure forward.”