Will 49ers Left Tackle Trent Williams Show Up to OTAs?

For the 49ers, next season largely depends on Trent Williams.

If he stays healthy, they probably should make the playoffs considering how easy their schedule is on paper. If he doesn't play, they could lose lots of games. They're 4-12 without him since he joined the team in 2020 and his backup currently is Andre Dillard who's a big step down from last season's backup, Jaylon Moore. He recently signed with the Chiefs.

So when OTAs start this week and the team invites the media to watch Thursday's practice, will Williams be there?

The 49ers said he showed up to Phase 1 of the offseason program a few days ago, but the team never released any pictures of him in the facility, nor did he speak to the media. Christian McCaffrey spoke. So did Fred Warner. And George Kittle took lots of pictures lifting weights with his teammates.

It will be interesting to see Williams in person. He has been away from the spotlight since last October. Hasn't spoken to the media or posted on social media. Two days ago, he was tagged on Instagram at a Cadillac dealership in Houston, Texas while wearing a 49ers shirt. So he doesn't seem to be in California yet, but he does still associate himself with the 49ers, which is a good sign.

OTAs aren't mandatory, so he could skip them entirely and still play this year. But if he showed up to Phase 1, he probably will show up this week. Assuming he does, what will he do? Will he participate like everyone else or will he watch from the sideline? Are his ankles fully healthy? How motivated is he to play this year?

We should get answers to all of those questions in just a few days.