Trent Williams didn’t need much to remind anyone where he’s been and where he is now.
The 49ers left tackle spent 10 seasons with Washington after being taken No. 4 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, but only nine of those seasons were actually played. One year was lost in the middle of a messy stretch that included a health scare, contract friction, and a breakup with the franchise that eventually sent him to San Francisco in 2020.
Since that trade during the 2020 NFL Draft, Williams has built an even more decorated run with the 49ers. He’s now in his seventh season in San Francisco, has earned first-team All-Pro honors three times, and has added five Pro Bowl selections since the move.
That’s the backdrop as Williams prepares to face Washington again on Monday. It will be his fourth game against the team since the trade, with San Francisco having won two of the first three meetings.
Asked on Saturday about his Washington years, Williams gave a line that likely won’t land well with every Commanders fan.
“Sometimes I forget that I even played there,” Williams said with a smile. “I’ve been here going on seven years, so I only played nine seasons there.
I was there 10 years, and I played nine seasons. You know, it’s been almost just as much time here as I have there.”
For plenty of Washington fans, the reaction to that quote may be complicated. Williams’ fallout came under former owner Dan Snyder and then-team president and GM Bruce Allen, with the tackle clashing with Washington over a contract and over a health issue tied to a cancer diagnosis. The tension was largely with Allen rather than Snyder, which is part of why many fans later sided with Williams.
Now 38, Williams has landed in the rare spot of still playing at an elite level deep into his career. He’s in his 18th NFL season, still chasing a Super Bowl ring, and the 49ers enter Monday night at 5-0 in 2026 with Washington coming to town.
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