In the offseason, offensive tackle Trent Williams was traded to the San Francisco 49ers from the Washington Redskins. As a result, he was seen as a replacement to legend Joe Staley, whom the 49ers lost to retirement in April. For Williams, he did not simply replace Staley.

Per David Lombardi of The Athletic, Williams claims that without Staley in the fold, the team has to ‘learn to live without' the six-time Pro-Bowl.

“You don’t replace a guy like Joe (Staley). You learn to live without him. And hopefully, I can make that a little easier.”

Some believe that Williams has enormous shoes to fill. While he acknowledges that Staley is one heck of a player, he has his own legacy to work on. With Staley in mind, he'll do his best as the new offensive tackle for the 49ers.

“Joe is an outstanding player. He's been a Hall of Famer, or will be. His legacy is his legacy. I have my own and have to work on mine. Me being the best me is doing the best I can to to carry a torch,” Williams said per Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report.

Williams missed the entire 2019-20 season due to tensions with the Redskins. During his stint there, the team downplayed a growth on his head for years — which, as it turned out, was cancerous. After this discovery, Williams requested a trade but it took several months for it to be completed. Now, Williams is back and healthy. He's intent of continuing his career and represent the position that Staley left behind.