After painful season, 49ers' Trent Williams sees playing into 2026 and beyond

San Francisco Chronicle​

a day ago

Trent Williams spoke with reporters Tuesday for the first time since he endured an excruciating season filled with physical pain and personal tragedy.
The San Francisco 49ers ' All-Pro left tackle missed the final seven games with a severe ankle injury before he and wife, Sondra, mourned the loss of their son, Trenton, who was stillborn at 35 weeks in late November.
The adversity raised the possibility that Williams, who will turn 37 in July and has dealt with a long string of ankle issues, would strike a different note when a familiar question was posed: How much longer does he plan to play?
But no worries, 49ers fans. Nothing has changed. The slam-dunk Hall of Famer can still see well beyond this season — when he can become the only offensive tackle in NFL history to earn 12 Pro Bowl berths — and can envision adding to his legacy by playing in 2028 when he's 40.
Only five offensive linemen have played into their 40s since 1925: Jason Peters, Jackie Slater, Bruce Matthews, Jeff Van Note and Ray Brown.
'I would love to play until I'm 40,' Williams said. 'I would love to make it into that special group. But if it's not in my cards, it's not in my cards … I'm going to do everything possible to play as long (as I can) and put a good product out there. When it's not going my way, then I'll know. I could play until I'm 41. Who knows? That is a goal of mine. I'm definitely not going to retire with something left in the tank.'
Williams acknowledged last year was agonizing. He said that in midseason he still felt the sting of the 49ers' Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs from eight months earlier. That defeat was followed by his family's first tragedy, when Sondra lost Trenton's twin earlier in her pregnancy.
Williams was asked Tuesday how he summoned the necessary enthusiasm for a 15th NFL season. He indicated the process wasn't easy, terming it a 'good question,' before he referenced the adversity he overcame earlier in his career.
In 2019, Williams was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. He underwent surgeries that removed the cancer, along with 30% of his scalp. It was repaired with skin grafts from his thigh and the reconstruction involved staples and several hundred stitches.
Williams missed the 2019 season, but he's said football wasn't even on his mind at the time. He was convinced his career was over and his sole focus was fighting for survival.
'It's very difficult, but the road I've traveled has always been difficult,' Williams said of last year's trials. 'Your faith has to get you through because there's a lot of things that happen that humanly you don't have the answer for it. You can't make sense of it. Second, it's just having the composure to know that life will throw you curveballs. And no matter how hard things get for me or how hard things get for anybody else, you can find a situation where it's worse.
'So every day, (I) thank God for being able to have air in my lungs. I know that that's not promised. And just keep moving forward knowing that what's in the rearview is in the rearview.'
Williams understands that this season could be his last in the NFL, despite his desire to keep playing. And that was made clear when he discussed his contract status. Williams doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining on his deal after he signed a three-year, $82.6 million extension last year.
Asked about the lack of guaranteed money in the final year of his deal next season, Williams indicated he'd address that in 2026, unless his performance finally plummets this year.
'I'm taking everything one year at a time,' Williams said. 'I feel like if my play warrants more guaranteed or a new year or two on the deal, I'm here for it. If not, it will be time to sail off into the sunset. I understand what's going on. I'm at that point where I'm just going day by day.'