49ers’ Williams not ready to retire

The NFL's best blindside protector will be back. In 2023. And, Trent Williams suggested, beyond.

On Saturday, four days after he declined to dismiss the possibility of retiring, the San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro left tackle said he would be returning for a 13th NFL season when he will be 35.

“Yeah, for sure,” Williams told NFL.com at the Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. “Next year. The year after. I'm under contract until I'm 39.”

In March 2021, after Williams signed a sixyear, $138 million contract, he expressed a desire to play beyond his justinked deal.

“I have something to prove: Can I play at a high level until I'm 40?,” Williams said.

Only four offensive linemen in NFL history have played into their 40s.

— Eric Branch College basketball: Josiah-Jordan James scored 15 points to lead No. 2 Tennessee (19-4, 8-2 SEC) to a 46-43 win over No. 25 Auburn (17-6, 7-3) in Knoxville, Tenn. The Volunteers shot just 27% from the field and 9.5% from beyond the 3-point line. Auburn managed only 24% from the field and 11% from beyond the 3-point line . ... Sean Pedulla scored 22 points and host Virginia Tech beat No. 6 Virginia 74-68, snapping the Cavaliers' seven-game winning streak . ... Jaren Holmes led No. 15 Iowa State with 15 points in the Cyclones' 68-53 home win over No. 8 Kansas . ... Jalen Bridges had 18 points with eight rebounds, big man Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua played for the first time since suffering a knee injury last season and No. 11 Baylor beat visiting Texas Tech 89-62 . ... Tyler Kolek had 13 points and eight assists as No. 14 Marquette defeated visiting Butler 60-52 for its fifth consecutive victory. ... Kalib Boone scored 25 points and host Oklahoma State blew a 19-point second-half lead before recovering to beat No. 15 TCU 79-73.

Soccer: Arsenal lost in the English Premier League for just the second time this season as Everton pulled off a surprising 1-0 win over the leaders in its first match under new manager Sean Dyche. James Tarkowski headed in a corner to the far post from Dwight McNeil in the 60th minute . ... Manchester United's 2-1 win against Crystal Palace was marred by Casemiro's red card in the second half for grabbing Palace midfielder Will Hughes by the neck. Casemiro will serve a three-match ban for violent conduct.

Tennis: The United States swept its way into the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, getting the clinching point in a 4-0 victory over Uzbekistan from the doubles team of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

They beat Sergey Fomin and Sanjar Fayziev 6-2, 6-4, after Tommy Paul and Mackenzie McDonald had won singles matches Friday in Tashkent.

Golf: Abraham Ancer had a 6-under-par 64 to bump his lead to two shots over Cameron Young going into the final round of the Saudi International on the Asian tour. The next group of players at five shots behind included Matthew Wolff (63).