Every now and then, a veteran player sneaks beyond the crucial threshold of being on the wrong side of 30 years old and continues playing well near to his 40th birthday.
Future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams isn't quite there yet, having just turned 37 years old. But, a point where most NFL players have long since called it a career, the 11-time Pro Bowler is still going strong and has no plans to retire anytime soon.
And the league's players and coaches certainly recognize him for it.
Williams just appeared at No. 45 overall on the NFL Top 100 list for 2025, his 12th time on the list.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@49ers OT Trent Williams checks in at No. 45! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/97YhytdIde
— NFL (@NFL) August 6, 2025
Granted, the three-time first-team All-Pro dropped 38 spots from his previous NFL Top 100 assignment a year ago. But, an ankle injury that limited him to just 10 games played pretty much tells fans everything they need to know as to why.
From the NFL Top 100 write-up:
"A lingering ankle injury for Williams ended a streak of Pro Bowl selections at 11 straight seasons starting with his third season and dropped him from a Top 10 ranking on this list last year. But though his streak of accolades was halted and even with the hampered ankle, Williams still remained one of the top tackles in the business, consistently protecting quarterback Brock Purdy and ranking sixth among tackles with an 85.6 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus."
Putting things bluntly, when Williams was on the field, he was dominant.
The Niners appear to trust the lineman with both durability and longevity, too, not having used a draft pick last April to find a long-term successor.
If Williams ultimately decides to keep playing until he's 40 years old and maintains such a level, San Francisco's decision on that front will appear to have been a wise one.
Read more from Niner Noise