The San Francisco 49ers are beginning their 2025 campaign amid significant doubt and major roster changes following a disappointing 6-11 finish in 2024. Many analysts question whether the team can recover quickly or if fans should brace for another challenging year. Despite this, left tackle Trent Williams is pushing back against the skepticism surrounding the team’s prospects.
Trent Williams refuses to accept low expectations
Trent Williams, widely regarded as a future Hall of Famer and one of the league’s top offensive linemen, recently spoke on The TK Show podcast and issued a clear warning to doubters. While many have written off the 49ers after losing key players, Williams insists the squad’s talent is still formidable and suggests they may prove critics wrong in 2025.
Last year, who had the Washington Commanders as an NFC Championship team? Nobody,
Williams told Tim Kawakami.
Who had the Minnesota Vikings as a team to go [14-3]? Who had that? Nobody. So, I feel like we’re in that same position. Everybody will look and say, ‘Oh, you lost this All-Pro, you lost that All-Pro. You don’t have this person. This guy’s getting older,’ this and that. But, in my opinion, we’re in the same boat.
Embracing the underdog role despite personnel losses
Williams acknowledged the challenges facing the team, including the absence of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, along with his own advancing age. However, he embraces the 49ers’ role as underdogs, believing the lowered expectations in some ways create an advantage.
We have all the talent, but everybody’s gonna kind of bat an eye at us because we don’t have [LB Dre] Greenlaw. [WR] Deebo [Samuel] isn’t with us anymore. I am 37. It’s a lot of stuff that people are going to drag at and say, ‘Oh, I don’t think this can be the same team.’ But honestly, that’s how you want it, right?
Optimism fueled by schedule and motivation
Williams pointed out that finishing last in the division results in a more favorable schedule, which the 49ers can use to their advantage. He believes the combination of underdog status and opportunity creates an ideal environment for the team to defy expectations.
The fact that everybody’s kind of sleeping on us, the fact that we finished last in our division, so it gives you a favorable schedule going forward, I think all of that plays into our hands,
Williams said.
Potential to be one of the NFL’s biggest surprises in 2025
Though the 49ers have experienced major personnel turnover and a tough previous season, Williams remains confident that their core talent still positions them as legitimate contenders. His belief in the team’s ability to surprise skeptics suggests that San Francisco could become one of the most unexpected <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/”>NFL success stories in 2025.