Why Trent Williams Playing Until 40 Years Old is Unlikely

No one would've blamed San Francisco 49ers star Trent Williams had he called it quits this offseason.

He came into the NFL in 2010 and has gone on to have one of the best careers by an offensive tackle. Had he decided to call it a career, he would've been more than valid.

However, Williams is coming back for 2025 and is striving beyond that. Williams has a goal to continue playing until he is 40 years old.

"I would love to play until I'm 40," Williams said. "I would love to make it to that special group. But if it's just not in my cards, it's not in my cards. But I'm going to do everything physically possible. I'm going to stay engaged, as you see, my first time here doing OTAs or even being at the offseason program in probably 10 years.

"So it's one of the things where I'm going to do everything possible to play as long and put a good product of football out there, and then, when it's not going my way, then I know. But I could play until I'm 41, you know, who knows? But that is a goal of mine. I'm definitely not going to retire with something left on the table."

This is the perfect mentality for Williams to have. He needs to dispel any thoughts of his age and how long he has been in the NFL. It will only distract him as he enters Year 16 of his illustrious career.

However, it's unlikely Williams will make it until 40 years old in the NFL. He will have to play until the 2028 season. That is when he will become 40. He needs to last for another three seasons before that, which is unlikely.

His status remained uncertain all offseason until over a month ago. He's not going to make it there, as awesome as it would be to see it. Just look at how his body has been holding up over the last three seasons.

He can no longer handle a full season anymore. The 49ers have already been reducing his workload during training camp and the regular season. Williams receives a great deal of rest days just to help him sustain his elite level.

At some point, the number of rest days will become irrelevant, as his body is telling him he is nearing the end. If there were a betting line for Williams making it to 40 years old in his playing career, you'd have to bet against it.

I doubt he will want to stick around if he can no longer perform at a high level and be a starter. It's possible he can remain on a roster in a backup role, but I don't believe he'd settle for that.

Williams seems to be an all-or-nothing player when it comes to his ability. Eventually, the injuries and inevitable performance decline will take their toll on him.

This season or 2026 are the likeliest final seasons for Williams.