Trent Williams - Pro Football Rumors

Injury Updates: Goff, Rams, Murray, Cardinals, 49ers, Mixon, Bengals, Watkins, Chiefs, Edelman, Patriots

December 28th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Things have gotten ugly for Jared Goff and the Rams’ offense the last couple of weeks, with back to back losses to the Jets and Seahawks in which Goff played poorly. Making matters worse, Los Angeles’ quarterback dislocated and broke his thumb during the loss to Seattle. It looks like there are a wide range of outcomes moving forward, with everything from Goff playing this Sunday to being out for the remainder of the season being on the table. Goff will require surgery on the thumb at some point but he’s hoping to push it back until after the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (Twitter video link).

Rapsheet says that Goff is “adamant” about pushing to play in Week 17 and that he at least has a “shot” to be under center. If the Bears lose to the Packers on Sunday then the Rams are in the playoffs no matter what, but if Chicago beats Green Bay then the Rams will need to beat the Cardinals to get in. It sounds like Goff is going to try to push through and suit up for the playoffs even if he isn’t able to be out there on Sunday. Goff is meeting with specialist Dr. Steven Shin today, the same doctor who treated Drew Brees‘ thumb injury last year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Obviously Brees missed a handful of games with that injury last year, although hopefully for the Rams this isn’t as severe. If Goff is forced to miss the game against Arizona, it’ll mean the first regular season NFL action for former Wake Forest and AAF star John Wolford.

Here are more health issues from around the league entering the final week of the season:

Goff isn’t the only banged up quarterback in this pivotal game. Kyler Murray has already dealt with a lingering shoulder injury this season, and he also hurt his leg at the end of Arizona’s Week 16 loss to San Francisco. Speaking to the media Monday head coach Kliff Kingsbury was vague, only deeming it a “lower leg” injury and saying they won’t put Murray out there if he can’t be effective. If the Cards win on Sunday, they’re in. If they don’t, they’re out. In a game of this magnitude, you have to figure Murray is going to play if it’s at all possible, but right now Kingsbury is saying it’s up in the air. This will be a situation to monitor closely, but either way it sounds like Murray is going to be at less than 100 percent against Aaron Donald and co.
One last dispatch from the NFC West. The 49ers picked up an upset of the Cardinals, but their injury-plagued season continued. They dropped at least two more starters, as rookie receiver Brandon Aiyuk and left tackle Trent Williams both won’t play in Week 17 due to injuries they suffered against Arizona, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. Shanahan also said he’d be shocked if Jimmy Garoppolo plays this weekend, meaning C.J. Beathard should get another crack at it. Aiyuk has flashed a lot of promise, and 49ers fans have to be excited about his 2021 potential. It’s possible we’ve seen Garoppolo play his last snap as a 49er.
Joe Mixon‘s 2020 campaign is officially in the books. The Bengals running back won’t play this weekend, head coach Zac Taylor confirmed Monday. Mixon hasn’t played since all the way back in Week 6 due to a foot injury, but the team kept insisting he was only week to week this whole time. Mixon signed a four-year, $48MM extension back in September, so he’s in Cincy for the long-haul.
Chiefs fans can breathe a little easier. Receiver Sammy Watkins went down with a calf injury yesterday, but Rapoport tweets it isn’t believed to be major. Given Watkins’ injury history, that’s a big relief. Rapoport writes that Watkins will rest in Week 17, but that there’s a “good chance” he’s back for Kansas City’s first playoff game.
Another player whose season, and quite possibly career, is over: Patriots receiver Julian Edelman. Rapoport tweets that Edelman won’t be activated for tonight’s Monday Night Football showdown with the Bills, and that it’s “unlikely” he plays next week either. Edelman is under contract for next season but he’ll turn 35 in May, so it’s entirely fair to wonder whether he’ll end up retiring. The legendary Patriot, who has spent all 12 years of his career in New England, was limited to only six games this year due to a knee injury.

COVID-19 Latest: Ravens, Williams, Browns

November 25th, 2020 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier Wednesday, the NFL took the Ravens-Steelers rematch off its Thanksgiving schedule. That game is now on tap for 12:15pm CT Sunday. More is emerging on why the Steelers will see another of their games delayed. The Ravens disciplined a strength and conditioning coach for “conduct surrounding the recent COVID-19 cases that have affected players and staff.” The Ravens are levying the discipline because the unnamed staffer did not report symptoms or consistently wear a mask or a contact tracing device, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). This is believed to have contributed to the Ravens’ outbreak — one that comes nearly two months after a Titans outbreak altered the Steelers’ schedule. Seven Ravens players and at least five staffers have tested positive for COVID. This will not only weaken Baltimore against Pittsburgh but potentially deplete team’s roster for its Week 13 Thursday game against Dallas.

Several teams shuffled their rosters because of COVID on Wednesday. Here is the latest:

49ers left tackle Trent Williams tested positive for COVID-19 last week, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). A cancer survivor, Williams has not experienced issues with the virus yet, Graziano tweets. Williams, who landed on the 49ers’ COVID list earlier this month as a high-risk close contact, is on track to miss San Francisco’s Week 12 game in Los Angeles.
Six players remain on San Francisco’s virus list. The 49ers removed Arik Armstead and center Hroniss Grasu on Wednesday.
Browns linebacker Sione Takitaki tested positive Wednesday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com (on Twitter). Takitaki played against the Eagles and returned an interception for a touchdown. The Cleveland starting linebacker’s positive test follows Myles Garrett‘s. Neither they nor Denzel Ward (injury) will be available for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. The Browns closed their facility Wednesday, but their Jags game remains on schedule.
The Bengals placed wide receiver Auden Tate and recently acquired offensive lineman B.J. Finney on their reserve/COVID-19 list. Cincinnati has seen staffers test positive, with D-line coach Nick Eason being the most recent. Eason was alerted of his positive test Tuesday. The Bengals now have five players on their reserve/COVID list.
Christian Wilkins is off the Dolphins‘ COVID list. Wilkins was not reported to have tested positive, but the second-year defensive lineman still missed two games after landing on the team’s virus list.
The Raiders activated Cory Littleton from their COVID list. The high-profile free agent addition has been out for two weeks due to a positive coronavirus test. Las Vegas’ defense remains shorthanded due to virus issues, with Clelin Ferrell testing positive last week and Lamarcus Joyner missing Sunday’s Chiefs game because of his status as a close contact.
Dante Fowler also tested positive two weeks ago and missed the Falcons‘ Week 11 game, but the big-ticket free agent addition is off the list now and on course to return to Atlanta’s lineup Sunday.
The Vikings and Chargers also removed players from their respective virus lists Wednesday. Minnesota activated guard Dru Samia; Los Angeles activated cornerback Brandon Facyson.

Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk Back On 49ers’ Reserve/COVID-19 List

November 20th, 2020 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have now placed seven players on their reserve/COVID-19 list this week. Two of those — Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk — are on the list for a second time.

Williams, Aiyuk and tight end Daniel Helm landed on San Francisco’s coronavirus list Friday. They join Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, center Hroniss Grasu and linebacker Joe Walker.

Aiyuk and Williams each missed San Francisco’s Week 9 game against Green Bay but returned for the team’s trip to New Orleans last week. The 49ers are on a bye this week, but their COVID situation certainly warrants monitoring.

Players who come in contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus land on reserve/COVID-19 lists. They must isolate for five days. Friday’s news does not mandate Aiyuk or Williams miss the 49ers’ Week 12 contest, against the Rams, but they would be in line to miss that game if they tested positive. It is not yet known if that is the case. But with seven players on the COVID list, the 49ers do have a bit of an issue during their week off.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/6/20

November 6th, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Friday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: G Germain Ifedi
Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: C Cody Whitehair (story)

Cincinnati Bengals

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: T Fred Johnson, CB Trae Waynes; Waynes remains on IR

Kansas City Chiefs

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Chris Jones

Miami Dolphins

Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Lynn Bowden

Minnesota Vikings

Promoted: LB Hercules Mata’afa
Placed on IR: CB Mark Fields

New Orleans Saints

Placed on IR: WR Justin Hardee, DT Sheldon Rankins (story)

New York Giants

Placed on IR: DB Ryan Lewis

San Francisco 49ers

Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Brandon Aiyuk, WR Kendrick Bourne, WR Deebo Samuel, T Trent Williams (story)

49ers’ Kendrick Bourne Tests Negative

November 6th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is now eligible to return. After his COVID-19 positive on Wednesday, Bourne has received two consecutive COVID-19 negatives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). In addition, fellow wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have also been the greenlight, along with left tackle Trent Williams.

Bourne was one of several 49ers players held out of Thursday night’s game due to protocols. Playing shorthanded, the Niners lost 34-17. Bourne’s latest results seem to point to a false positive on the first test, and his camp is predictably miffed.

“It’s frustrating because Kendrick has been really responsible with everything,” agent Henry Organ said. “He’s taken COVID-19 very seriously. It’s not a joke to him.”

Through eight games this year, Bourne has caught 25 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown. His last outing was his best yet — Bourne registered eight grabs for 81 yards against the Seahawks, making the most out of his ten targets.

With their roster largely restocked, Bourne and the 49ers will turn their attention to the Saints, following their bye week.

49ers Notes: Garoppolo, Brady, Trent Williams

June 24th, 2020 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

Before Tom Brady shocked the world and joined up with the Bucs, there was buzz about TB taking his talents to SF. For his part, Jimmy Garoppolo says he wasn’t caught off guard by the speculation.

“The one thing I can say about the whole situation was Kyle and John were very honest with me the whole time,” the quarterback said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). “That’s their job — to put the best team together possible and you’ve got to respect that. So as long as the honesty and truthfulness is there, I respect those guys, I love those guys. And it’s going to be a fun year this year.”

It was an odd spot for Jimmy G to be in, especially since he had just capped his first full season as an NFL starter with a Super Bowl appearance. Still, he says he wasn’t sweating the Brady talk.

“It’s the NFL,” he said. “There’s competition. Everyone’s trying to put the best team together they can. And that’s just the reality of it.”

49ers Can’t Franchise Tag Trent Williams

June 23rd, 2020 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this month, Trent Williams inked his revised deal with the 49ers. Williams agreed to table his previous demand for an extension in exchange for some current year perks, including a ~50% guarantee on his remaining salary. Also, as part of the reworked contract, the Niners waived their right to franchise tag the left tackle next year, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Even though Williams is set for unrestricted free agency next year, the two sides remain aligned on the goal of a multi-year deal, Yates hears. It’s not quite clear what that would cost for the 49ers. At one point in time, Williams was rumored to be seeking something around $20MM annually, though Williams’ agent Vince Taylor has denied those claims in March. However, the rep indicated that something in the neighborhood of $16MM would work for his client.

“If we could get to a point where we could talk about those numbers, that would not be a holdup for us,” Taylor said, back when Williams was in D.C.. “The contract has never been the holdup. The Redskins prior to the Combine put Trent on the trade market. They had him on [the trade block] maybe 10 days, and even through the Combine, which is the biggest business platform for teams looking to wheel and deal.”

Ultimately, Williams’ willingness to compromise with the 49ers proved that his contract wasn’t his top priority. The soon-to-be 32-year-old probably could have secured a long-term extension somewhere in the league. Instead, he agreed to join the Niners as he pursues a Super Bowl ring.

Williams, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ best tackle in the NFL in 2016. Since then, he’s missed a total of 29 possible games.

49ers Guarantee Half Of Trent Williams’ Salary

June 20th, 2020 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have guaranteed half of Trent Williams‘ salary for the 2020 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The two sides agreed to rework his deal earlier in the offseason, but the terms were now previously known. On Friday, Williams formally inked the deal and passed his physical, making it all officially official.

As Williams demanded a trade, he also demanded a new deal from whatever team acquired him. But, when the 49ers got serious with the Redskins, Williams had a change of heart. The deal went down towards the tail end of draft weekend and was not accompanied by a multi-year extension.

After Williams put his extension request on the back burner, the 49ers locked in 50% of his $12.5MM in base salary. Before, that sum was completely non-guaranteed.

The multiple-time Pro Bowler will take over for SF legend Joe Staley, who kept his retirement plans on the hush until the Niners landed Williams to replace him. Now, he’ll look to get back to his old form, secure another big pay day, and play for a championship in SF.

Williams, 32 in July, ggraded out as Pro Football Focus’ best tackle in the NFL in 2016. He’s missed a combined 29 games over the past four seasons, but he still profiles as one of the league’s most talented and accomplished linemen.

NFC West Notes: Seahawks, 49ers, Mostert

June 3rd, 2020 at 7:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After signing a one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Seahawks last month, veteran running back Carlos Hyde is expected to see most of his action on early-down plays, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Incumbent starter Chris Carson isn’t expected to lose any work to Hyde that he wouldn’t have to Rashaad Penny (who is likely to begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list), meaning that Carson should still see the bulk of the carries in Seattle. While Carson has posted only 57 receptions over the past two seasons, Henderson notes that’s more a function of the Seahawks’ run-based offense than a comment on Carson’s ability as a three-down back. Hyde, meanwhile, has $500K worth of per-game roster bonuses in his contract, which Henderson adds is a favorite technique of Seattle’s front office. If Hyde doesn’t play well enough to be active for most games, the Seahawks could recoup a small bit of cash.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

While George Kittle is believed to be next in line for a 49ers extension, running back Raheem Mostert could land a new deal before the star tight end, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic writes. On one hand, Mostert is certainly underpaid. He signed a three-year extension last spring with an annual value of less than $3MM. Mostert was largely a special teams player at the time, but after posting 772 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020, he’s worth more. On the other hand, San Francisco controls Mostert’s rights through the 2021 campaign, he’s already 28 years old, and running back’s shelf lives are notoriously short.
Trent Williams played alongside a bevy of average-or-worse quarterbacks during his time with the Redskins, but the veteran left tackle believes he’s stepping into an excellent signal-caller situation with the 49ers. “I think Jimmy [Garoppolo] is awesome,” Williams told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. “I think he has proven that he’s a quarterback that you can win with…From being in my position, not having a lot of success in the league, having a good quarterback then to having a kind of musical chairs back there, I know the importance of it. So I’m extremely happy just to be part of an offense that really don’t need me to win. I add to it.” San Francisco, which acquired Williams in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks, hasn’t worked out an extension with the 31-year-old, but reportedly has agreed to give him more money upfront.
In case you missed it, the Rams were one of several teams to gain additional cap space earlier this week thanks to the NFL’s post-June 1 release system.

Trent Williams: I Was “Really” Ready To Play For Redskins Last Year

May 28th, 2020 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

After years of bitter conflict with Redskins management, Trent Williams got his wish – a one-way ticket out of D.C. But, before the offseason trade that shipped him to the 49ers, Williams says he legitimately wanted to retake the field.

Williams held out for the the first two months of the 2019 season, but reported to the Redskins after the late October trade deadline. However, he cited immense pain when trying to put on his helmet and flunked his physical. Even after that, Williams said that he wanted to play and find a suitable post-surgery helmet, but the Redskins parked him on the NFI list instead, ending his season and stopping his paychecks.

“The competitive juices started to flow, so I was really prepared to make my return last year,” Williams said. “I know all of the things that had went on and just being in that facility, being around teammates, being around the guys you fought with and bled with for some many years. It was almost impossible for me to fight the urge not to just want to get back on the field.”

“I was literally waiting on my new helmet to come in. I was getting ready to kind of gear up and it was going to be somewhat of a surprise to some, but I think for the people who know me best they know how competitive I am…I was put on NFI right before I could even get the helmet to get back out there. It was a bummer but figured it was just how it was supposed to work out.”

Ultimately, things worked out alright for Williams. Towards the end of draft weekend, the Redskins shipped him out west to the 49ers, where he’ll take over for Joe Staley at left tackle. And, while he doesn’t have an extension just yet, the Niners did guarantee a portion of his 2020 salary.