Trent Williams spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Washington Football Team. His final year was marred due to a standoff with the front office, specifically former team president Bruce Allen.
When Ron Rivera took over as head coach, one of his primary objectives was to resolve the situation between the team and Williams.
By the 2020 NFL draft, Rivera dealt Williams to the San Francisco 49ers, and his outstanding career in D.C. was over.
While one can always wonder if Rivera was actually serious about retaining Williams or just wanting to move on from the entire situation, we may truly never know. But Williams proved in his first season in San Francisco he was still an elite offensive tackle.
That one season led to a historic payday for Williams — even at 32-years-old, impressive for any position outside of quarterback.
ESPN is continuing its series naming the top 10 players at every position. So, it was no surprise when Trent Williams was its selection as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the NFL.
“He’s that player O-linemen are sharing videos about,” said an NFL offensive line coach. “You could easily pull out 20 plays from every game where he’s dominant.”
“He’s been on a whole different level the last five years,” said an AFC offensive coach. “Dominant in every facet, runs in space, massive individual, more devastating on his blocks, plays violently and can drive a person back flat-footed.”
No Washington player made the top 10 or received votes. Don’t worry, Washington fans. While the team didn’t have an elite player at offensive tackle last season, it ended the year having one of the best offensive lines in football.
It was nice seeing Trent Williams bet on himself — and win. But things in Washington are better now than they ever were in his 10 years with the franchise.
In the end, both sides came out just fine.
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