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Although the San Francisco 49ers may be going through a challenging transition after losing 20 players in the offseason, coach Kyle Shanahan can still count on one constant: Offensive tackle Trent Williams staying in shape.
Williams said he feels great entering his sixth year with the 49ers, adding that he continues to be motivated by his teammates to work hard and stay ready even if he's already well-established in the NFL.
The 49ers held their joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday. Shanahan, however, didn't see the need to field in the 37-year-old Williams.
“Trent’s playing at a very high level. Trent’s in great shape,” said Shanahan in a report from The Athletic's Vic Tafur. “We love where Trent’s at.”
“You only have so many bull rushes once you get to a certain age, and when you put a guy out there like Trent, I mean, everyone wants to measure themselves up against him.”
San Francisco is seemingly taking a cautious approach with the 11-time Pro Bowler, who was limited to 10 games last season due to an ankle injury. With Williams' competitive nature, Shanahan doubled down on the decision to rest him.
“I’ve been in joint practices with Trent, and it’s a little different for him just going against people, so we’re being a little bit smarter with him,” said Shanahan.
Williams helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl in 2024. He has been a great teammate as well, particularly in supporting quarterback Brock Purdy.
Aside from Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa also sat out the joint practice with the Raiders. Without the two stars, Tafur noted that the 49ers' defensive line didn't “get much traction.”
“Left tackle Kolton Miller easily handled Bryce Huff, while guard Dylan Parham didn’t have any trouble with the Raiders' defensive tackles. One thing about rookie Alfred Collins, though: While he got off to a slow start and is still a work in progress, the 6-foot-6, 333-pound defensive tackle takes up a lot of space and often takes two offensive linemen to move him,” reported Tafur.
The 49ers and the Raiders will battle in the preseason on Saturday.
