Grading Trent Williams’ re-signing with the 49ers: A

The 49ers’ made a serious commitment to left tackle Trent Williams, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history.

Last season, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams allowed four sacks, four quarterback hurries, and 11 quarterback hits in 562 pass-blocking snaps. All four of those sacks allowed happened by Week 5, and Williams allowed just 10 total pressures from Week 6 through the end of the season. This in an offense in which starter Jimmy Garoppolo missed 10 games due to injury and was replaced primarily by Nick Mullens.

It made sense that Williams might need a few games to shed the rust; he had missed the entire 2019 season due to the discovery of a cancerous growth on his head which was diagnosed as dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Williams had issues with the then-Redskins’ medical staff, which led to larger issues with the team, and the former fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft was traded to San Francisco in April, 2020.

The 49ers were dealing with the retirement of Joe Staley, and Williams fit perfectly in Staley’s old spot. And now, the 49ers have rewarded Williams with a historic contract. Per ESPN’s Dianna Russini, Williams and the 49ers have agreed to terms on a new six-year, $138 million contract with $55.1 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. It’s not the largest guarantee — Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley has $70 million in total guarantees in his current five-year, $98.75 million contract extension — but it’s a major commitment. And at age 32, Williams has proven worthy of it.

“Anytime someone misses, no matter what your age is, when you take a year, more than a year off football, you’re always concerned about that,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Williams in his January season-ending press conference. “At least knowing the person helped me that’s for sure (Shanahan was Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2010-2013). Being able to talk to him helped. Hearing what he had to say, hearing how hungry he was helped. Knowing how talented he was and everything, when you hear the hunger, you hear his passion about getting back and getting in a different situation and then it was cool for me to talk to guys like [RB Jerick McKinnon] Jet, [receiver] Deebo [Samuel], guys who were working out with him down in Houston who were calling me, telling me about this guy they’re working out with and how talented he is and how ready to go is.

“I told them I already knew who he was, but that definitely helped because I hadn’t seen him in a while. So, when you hear all those things and you know the guy and you talk to him, I wasn’t worried at all about it because of the information we got. I was a little worried not having much of the time to get him back into football shape just with not having OTAs and the training camp and stuff, but that’s why I was glad he was able to stay healthy in training camp because that got him some of the reps he needed and stuff. I think that’s what got him ready for the year.”

Williams remains a master at his craft, with technique to win in any situation and against any type of pass rusher. This play against Markus Golden of the Arizona Cardinals, who received his own two-year deal to stay in the Valley of the Sun, is a prime example:

Williams (No. 71) flashes his hands early, baiting Golden into trying to counter the move. When the edge rusher does just that he exposes his chest, allowing the offensive tackle to pull his arms back and then counter by getting into Golden’s chest to control him. The defender tries to cut to the inside, and Williams uses his footwork to mirror the move and finish the play.

And on this Mullens 49-yard pass to rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk in Week 13 against the Bills, watch how Williams gives rookie edge-rusher A.J. Epenesa an expensive lesson in how pass protection is performed at the NFL level. Williams keeps Epenesa out of the gate as he’s working back through the arc by extending his hands, and when Epenesa gets into Williams’ chest, the veteran simply uses his strength to stonewall the edge-rusher. By the end of the rep, Epenesa looks completely gassed. “Problem” solved.

We don’t let know who will be the 49ers’ quarterback in 2021 and beyond, but whoever it is, he won’t have to worry about his blind side.