While most players his age start thinking about retirement, San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams recently revealed he didn’t even think about hanging up his cleats after the 2024 season concluded. In fact, Williams, who will turn 37 in July, is hoping he can play at least four more seasons.
“I would love to play until I’m 40,” Williams recently said from 49ers minicamp. “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.”
If he can do it, Williams would join a rate fraternity of offensive linemen who were still playing at age 40, a group including Hall of Famers Jackie Slater, Bruce Matthews and four-time Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth, who retired at age 40 shortly after he helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI.
Williams — who said he has recovered from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the final seven games of the 2024 season — has been putting the work in this offseason in an effort to prolong his career. He said that this offseason marked his first time participating in OTAs in roughly a decade.
“It’s one of them things to where I’m gonna do everything possible to play as long [as I can],” Williams said, “and to put a good product of football out there, and then, when it’s not going my way, then I’ll know. But I could play until I’m 41. Who knows?
“But that is a goal of mine. I’m definitely not going to retire with some left in the tank.”
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If he can play at age 40, it would be yet another feather on Williams’ future Hall of Fame cap. Entering the 2025 season, Williams has been named to 11 Pro Bowls, which is tied for the fifth-most in NFL history among offensive tackles.
While his career is as decorated as any offensive tackle in NFL history from an individual standpoint, Williams is hoping to add “Super Bowl champion” to his long list of accolades before his career is over. After coming up short in two previous Super Bowl appearances, Williams and his teammates are hoping to finally get over the hump in 2025.
One of the things that will help the 49ers possibly achieve that is the return of Williams as well as former All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, who is reportedly healthy again after injuries plagued him throughout the 2024 season.
“Christian is — I mean, he is a psycho in a good way, and so he does everything imaginable every single day,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan recently said of his star running back. “Last year he couldn’t because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it’s really fun to watch.”
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
June 11, 2025 | 2:56 pm
