Williams on prediction he’ll be back with 49ers: ‘That’s not a bad take’
There is a feeling Trent Williams could return to the 49ers.
The source: Trent Williams.
The eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle who is poised to be the biggest prize on the market when free agency begins March 17 joined 49ers teammate Richard Sherman on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast on Tuesday and didn’t disagree when Sherman and his co-host predicted he’d sign with the 49ers.
“That’s not a bad take, fellas,” Williams said. “That’s not bad take. Y’all are barking up the right tree.”
The Colts have been viewed as a potential competitor for Williams’ services. They are a 2020 playoff team with the NFL’S fourth-most salarycap space and they have an obvious need for a left tackle after the retirement of Anthony Castonzo. Given that, it was notable that Williams, 32, strongly suggested during the 53-minute conversation that he’d be staying in the NFC.
When Williams was asked where he thought Sherman might sign in free agency, he mentioned the Chiefs, Colts and Raiders. Williams’ joking implication was he wanted Sherman far away from the NFC West.
“The AFC — there’s a lot of good places over there,” Williams said, laughing.
“As long as he doesn’t end up back in Seattle, I think I can deal with anything. I definitely don’t want to see him twice a year if I was back in San Francisco.”
The comments were part of a conversation in which Williams, who was asked mostly questions by Sherman, echoed much of
what he said throughout his first season with the 49ers in 2020.
Williams said he was “grateful” for the 49ers, who provided a stronger culture than he experienced during his nine seasons with Washington.
“It made a world of difference of me to be in a place where I’m very comfortable,” Williams said. “With people that I’m very comfortable with.”
One of those people was head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was Williams’ offensive coordinator for his first four NFL seasons.
“He has that play-calling — knowing how to set defenses up and giving you the same look twice with two different plays,” Williams said. “He has that. I mean, I’ve never seen anyone like it. I’ve been around some of the best. I’ve been around the game a long time. And I still haven’t seen anyone who can rival his in-game play-calling and gameplanning.”
More relevant to Williams’ free-agent decision, he said Shanahan’s offense takes full advantage of his unique blend of skills.
“I’m an anomaly when it comes to being in Kyle’s system because usually guys that are athletic are not as strong,” Williams said. “And guys that are strong are not as athletic. And the size. With me having a mixture of all three — size, strength and athleticism — it gets Kyle to the point where he can literally game plan around me in that system. ... I think Kyle’s system kind of puts me on display a little bit more than a lot of the other systems.”
However, Williams, who said he expected to sign a four- to five-year deal, also noted the obvious: Finances would be a factor.
It was notable that he spoke Tuesday, when the deadline for team to place the franchise tag on players passed. After he was acquired by the 49ers last year, Williams had it written in his contact that he couldn’t be retained with the franchise tag, which is about $14.5 million for offensive linemen in 2021. Williams is expected to command a contract worth at least $20 million annually.
And, given how rare it is for elite left tackles such as Williams to reach free agency, he could inspire a bidding war if he reaches the open market. After the season, Williams said it would “interesting” to see what his “value” was in free agency.
“You definitely want to feel appreciated and valued,” Williams said Tuesday, “and get your worth.”