The San Francisco 49ers have been without star offensive tackle Trent Williams the last three games, but they have gotten some promising news on that front.
Williams returned to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday, via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. This indicates that he could potentially be back on the field when the 49ers battle the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.
San Francisco’s offense has languished in Williams’ absence, scoring just 17 points in every single game over its last three contests. Of course, wide receiver Deebo Samuel being sidelined has also made a huge difference, but there is no question that the lack of Williams’ presence has made things a whole lot more difficult for the Niners to get things moving.
Williams, who played his collegiate football at the University of Oklahoma, was originally selected by Washington with the fourth overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
He spent the first nine years of his career in Washington, making seven straight trips to the Pro Bowl between 2012 and 2018.
Williams was then traded to the 49ers in April 2020 and has continued his stretch of dominance ever since arriving in the Bay Area.
The 35-year-old has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons in San Francisco and has also earned back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selections.
Injuries are nothing new for Williams, who has not played a full campaign since 2013. He missed three games last season and missed a pair of contests in 2021.
Still, when he is on the field, there is no questioning that Williams is one of the best offensive linemen in football.
The Niners began the season 5-0, but their recent skid has knocked them out of sole possession of first place in the NFC West. They will aim to get back on track against the Jaguars this weekend.
More must-reads: