San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams has emphatically stated that he has no plans to retire after the conclusion of the 2023 season.
“Oh, yeah. 100 percent,” Williams affirmed when questioned about his intentions for the 2024 season, as reported by Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Expressing his ambition, Williams disclosed, “I want to break the record for tackles. That’s a big thing for me.”
Following his inclusion in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games held in Orlando, Florida, Williams solidified his place as the eighth offensive lineman in NFL history to achieve 11 Pro Bowl selections. Notably, he also joined the esteemed company of Hall of Famers Anthony Muñoz, Jonathan Ogden, and Willie Roaf as the fourth tackle to attain 11 Pro Bowl nods.
Should Williams secure another Pro Bowl selection, he would establish a new record for the most Pro Bowl appearances by a tackle.
Although the 35-year-old did not secure a Pro Bowl selection in his initial two NFL seasons, he has garnered the honor consistently in every season since.
Originally chosen fourth overall by Washington in the 2010 draft, Williams spent the first nine seasons of his career with the franchise before being traded to San Francisco ahead of the 2020 season.
In March 2021, Williams inked a landmark six-year, $138.06 million extension with the 49ers, a deal that propelled him to become the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.
Williams remains under contract through the 2026 season, and he will be 38 at that juncture. Following the extension, he expressed his contemplation of playing in the NFL until the age of 40.
“I think just going off of that and knowing the medicine now and the way the NFL takes care of their players now, I think yeah, I think playing until 40 is well within reach,” Williams stated during that time. “The way I feel right now, I do think I have six years in my body. But I’m not going to be unrealistic. I’m going to take it one day at a time and continue to plug away at it. But that is the goal. I have something to prove. Can I play at a high level until I’m 40? We’ll see.”
Over his impressive 13-year career, Williams has shielded some of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, including his current signal-caller, Brock Purdy.
Despite accumulating 11 Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro nods, Williams is still in pursuit of a Super Bowl title, a quest that may potentially find fruition in the ongoing year.
The 49ers embark on their 2024 playoff journey this Saturday, engaging in an NFC Divisional round clash against the Green Bay Packers, with a victory securing their place in the NFC Championship game for the third consecutive season.
