The San Francisco 49ers traded for Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams on Saturday morning, and they had quite the incentive for pulling the trigger on said trade.
Adam Schefter reported longtime Niners left tackle Joe Staley is expected to retire due to health concerns. Schefter said Staley wanted to “inform the 49ers in a timely way to help find a replacement.”
Here’s what helped set into motion the Trent Williams’ trade: six-time Pro Bowl and All-Decade OT Joe Staley is expected to retire due to health concerns, per league sources. The 35-year-old Staley wanted to inform the 49ers in a timely way to help find a replacement. They have.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2020
The Niners certainly have found their replacement, though they will bid Staley farewell.
Staley was one of the most talented offensive tackles in the last 13 years. He was named to six Pro Bowls, with all six coming between 2011 and 2017.
But Staley also played in just seven games last season due to a broken fibula suffered last September. He returned in Week 10 and started in each of San Francisco's playoff games during their march to the Super Bowl. However, he has decided it is time to call it a career.
By trading for Williams, the Niners get another six-time Pro Bowler still in his prime. Williams held out the entirety of the 2019 season after demanding a trade from the Redskins, but he should be fully healthy for training camp.
This offseason has been all about plugging holes for the defending NFC champions.
Aside from acquiring Williams, the Niners drafted South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to be DeForest Buckner's replacement, and later selected Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to compensate for the loss of Emmanuel Sanders.
Niners GM John Lynch saw the opportunity to acquire Williams, and he pounced. But not before it was clear that Staley–who will go down as a franchise great–was ready to retire.
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