Niners Nation
Trent Williams already has a huge collection of accolades from his NFL career, but he’ll have the chance to add a new award to the list in 2025.
Trent Williams is almost certainly bound for Canton whenever he decides to hang them up, the 49ers’ left tackle having racked up 11 Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections in his decorated career.
Williams has a chance to furnish his Hall of Fame resume in the 2025 season, which will give him the opportunity to compete for a brand new award.
The NFL confirmed last week that the forthcoming campaign will see the introduction of the ‘Protector of the Year’ award.
The winner will be decided by a panel including some of the best offensive linemen in the history of the game.
At a distinct disadvantage for honors such as Offensive Player of the Year, the addition of a new award aimed solely at offensive linemen is an overdue piece of recognition for players that man the trenches.
Williams is likely to be among the favorites to win the inaugural edition of the award, and CBS Sports clearly expects him to be in the mix as he seeks a bounce-back year following a 2024 ruined by injury.
Indeed, CBS’ Cody Benjamin ranks Williams as the second favorite to claim the award behind Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Williams missed seven games last season owing to a lingering ankle injury last season, which saw him credited with allowing only one sack, per Pro Football Focus.
The 2024 campaign was one Williams will want to forget in a hurry, but it was another that reflected his remarkable consistency. Williams has not allowed more than one sack in a season since giving up four in 2020, his debut season with the 49ers.
Prior to 2024, Williams had finished top 12 in Pro Football Focus’ pass blocking efficiency metric — which measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis — for three successive seasons. He was top five in 2022 (fifth) and 2023 (third).
Even in his disappointing 2024, Williams still ranked tied 17th in that metric. Though that clearly represented a drop-off, Williams’ presence in the top 20 is reflective of his remarkably high floor as a pass protector, which enables him to excel in spite of injury issues. His often spectacular play in the run game is what attracts the most attention but, in a league still dominated by the pass, Williams’ floor as a pass blocker is what remains the most important aspect of his game.
Health is the main to reason to have concern about Williams potentially returning to his best and winning Protector of the Year. However, if he does stay injury-free and his play as a pass protector and run blocker helps the 49ers rebound from last year’s 6-11 campaign, then Williams will have an excellent case for making NFL history as the first winner of an award he could have monopolised had it been introduced earlier.
