{"id":1218,"date":"2026-06-04T23:08:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T23:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1218"},"modified":"2026-06-04T23:08:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T23:08:53","slug":"kurtenbach-trent-williams-isnt-being-weird-about-retirement-you-shouldnt-be-either","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1218","title":{"rendered":"Kurtenbach: Trent Williams isn’t being weird about retirement; you shouldn’t be, either"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SANTA CLARA \u2014 Trent Williams isn\u2019t being weird about retirement, so why should you?<\/p>\n

Read more New book tackles the myths around sake, from Oakland\u2019s Umami Mart<\/a><\/p>\n

He knows the end is near, and, deep down, you know the end is near, too. The San Francisco 49ers certainly know it.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re operating from a place of honesty these days. Let\u2019s stop projecting insecurities or trying to re-write the rulebook.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s professional football, not a magical fairy tale where everyone gets to play until they\u2019re 65 and then collect a cushy pension.<\/p>\n

The soon-to-be-38-year-old tackle, who has always been forthright and honest and open in his dealings with the media \u2014 a perk of greatness that too few take \u2014 didn\u2019t do any pretending about his present or his future on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

He looked at the unwashed media masses and told the unvarnished truth.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scary,\u201d Williams admitted when asked about the end. \u201cI\u2019m toying between the idea of going until I can\u2019t no more, and just leaving while I still got some good product left.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it sure sounds like he wants to walk away on his own two feet. He has zero interest in, as he put it, \u201cgetting ran out the league.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Wouldn\u2019t you be thinking about the end, too, if you had just been in a contract negotiation where the Niners made no bones about it: this is our last go with you.<\/p>\n

The Niners looked at their cap sheet, checked the calendar, and communicated the obvious.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t blame the Niners for that take. They had no interest in another protracted contract negotiation with Williams.<\/p>\n

And it sounds like Williams took the take in kind.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Two more years, two more shots at a title (even if they\u2019re feeling like long shots right now). Out before just before he turns 40.<\/p>\n

So why is it weird that Williams \u2014 who functionally retired at age 31 amid a battle with Washington \u2014 would want to see what the other side is like?<\/p>\n

In the words of Danny Glover, he\u2019s getting too old for this\u2026 stuff.<\/p>\n

Two things Williams has always understood: his own leverage in contract negotiations (aka his greatness) and his own mortality. He learned the last one the hard way\u00a0\u2014 fighting cancer.<\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t need to prove anything else. He\u2019s still here because of his love of the game.<\/p>\n

Also, the pay is still pretty awesome.<\/p>\n

But will he still love it \u2014 or be paid the biggest bucks \u2014 if he\u2019s out there getting worked, week after week?<\/p>\n

He\u2019d rather park the truck himself before the axles snap and he\u2019s stranded on the shoulder of the highway.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump\u2019s coal funding sends $75 million to controversial Oakland terminal<\/a><\/p>\n

The truth is that Williams is still great, even if he\u2019s taken a step back in recent years because of injury (shocker, an older player is getting injured more).<\/p>\n

But he still has a long way to fall to even be average. His 80 percent is still miles better than almost anyone else\u2019s absolute maximum.<\/p>\n

So while the prospect of playing Myles Garrett twice a season might not be fun, he\u2019s going to face the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I mean, it sucks,\u201d Williams deadpanned when asked about the defensive wrecker joining the rival Rams.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s preposterous to question the man\u2019s commitment to the Niners or the game. He isn\u2019t out here phoning it in.<\/p>\n

And, most importantly, he\u2019s not a jerk. (I could use a worse term, but I won\u2019t).<\/p>\n

Which is to say that he doesn\u2019t think he\u2019s going to live forever and that anything he does will be met with no consequences.<\/p>\n

He fully grasps what playing in the trenches does to a human body, even when you\u2019re the king.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a nearly-40 man with kids, a full understanding that there\u2019s not some other $20 million-a-year job lined up after this, and pride.<\/p>\n

His eldest daughter is approaching college age, and he\u2019s not eager to miss those milestones.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be there and be accessible,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be somewhere at a joint practice when it\u2019s time for her to move into school.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s down the road. In the meantime, he\u2019s in it to win it. He has been since he arrived in Santa Clara. Don\u2019t expect that to change.<\/p>\n

Can you blame someone for not wanting to stay in this grind at the detriment of his family, his team, or his legacy?<\/p>\n

He was just being real. That should be celebrated, not bemoaned.<\/p>\n

All this weirdness that I saw in the aftermath of his presser? Sure seems like projection from Niners fans who have spent the last five years bemoaning the Niners\u2019 \u201cfailure\u201d to find an heir apparent for the future Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

As if you could find someone \u2014 in the league or in the draft \u2014 who could replace Williams.<\/p>\n

We constantly beg athletes for the truth. Then, when they finally give it to us, it seems as if some respond with panic and a request to lie to them again.<\/p>\n

Read more SF Giants amass 20 hits in big win vs. Brewers to secure series split<\/a><\/p>\n

Williams told you exactly who he is, where he\u2019s at, and where he\u2019s going.<\/p>\n

Believe him. And enjoy the final act.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams knows the end is near. Niners fans need to stop projecting their insecurities about that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1217,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nKurtenbach: Trent Williams isn’t being weird about retirement; you shouldn’t be, either - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=1218\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kurtenbach: Trent Williams isn’t being weird about retirement; you shouldn’t be, either - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"San Francisco 49ers: Trent Williams knows the end is near. 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