SANTA CLARA — One week after All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams ended his lengthy holdout, he was back on the field for the 49ers’ regular-season opener.
And he was as good as ever in the 49ers’ 32-19 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night at Levi’s Stadium.
Williams was perfect as a pass-blocker on the 33 snaps in which he was entrusted to protect quarterback Brock Purdy’s blind side.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Williams joined the team last Tuesday, ending a holdout with the agreement on a contract that is set to pay him $82.66 million, including $48 million fully guaranteed, over the next three seasons.
Coach Kyle Shanahan is rarely surprised by anything Williams does, but Monday’s game might have pushed those boundaries a little after the three-time All-Pro sat out all of training camp.
“It's really tough to do that,” Shanahan said when asked if he expected Williams to be that sharp. “It helped watching him for four practices.
“You never know how someone is going to come back when you haven't seen him in that long. But just watching him at that Monday practice and how he was by the Wednesday practice, just gave us a good sign that he was going to be all right in the game.”
San Francisco 49ers
He was more than just all right.
Williams did not allow a quarterback pressure, according to Zebra Technologies' on-field tracking. It was the first time he did not allow a pressure since Week 3 of the 2022 season.
Williams was on the field for 70 of the 49ers’ 72 offensive snaps in the game.
“We didn't know how his wind was going to be,” Shanahan said. “We knew he was in shape, but football shape is a totally different deal. And I know we went on some long drives, so that became a challenge for him as we got closer to the end. But, I also think being able to run the ball that much also helps, too.”
Jordan Mason ran the ball 28 times for 147 yards and a touchdown, while Deebo Samuel added eight rushing attempts for 23 yards and a touchdown.
Williams and the 49ers’ offensive line controlled the game with consecutive scoring drives that consisted of nine, 12, 12, 11, eight and 11 plays.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast