The San Francisco 49ers have seen some of their best players receive individual honors in recent years.
Nick Bosa won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks. Christian McCaffrey was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 after pacing the league with 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Bosa and McCaffrey are household names for a reason, but they aren’t the only guys in San Francisco who are among the best players at their position.
McCaffrey was sensational during the 49ers’ Super Bowl run two years ago, but he probably would have struggled to put together such a gaudy stat line without the help of Trent Williams.
An 11-time Pro Bowler, Williams has been one of the best offensive tackles in football for most of his career. Unfortunately, the NFL has lacked a way to honor great offensive linemen like Williams – until now.
The NFL recently announced the debut of the Protector of the Year award, which will be given annually to the league’s top offensive lineman.
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One of the most important yet underappreciated position groups in football will finally get the recognition it deserves, and Williams will be among the favorites to take home the inaugural award.
While Williams will be 37 years old this season and is coming off an ankle injury, he’s still one of the NFL’s elite when healthy.
Before his injury, he was named a first-team All-Pro in three straight seasons and will enter the 2025 campaign as a top candidate for the award based on career achievements alone.
The 49ers are also set up to have a bounce-back season in 2025. They have been blessed with the NFL’s easiest schedule and will be back to full strength after being ravaged by injuries last year.
If the 49ers reclaim their status as title contenders and Williams continues to play at an All-Pro level, he would have the best case to be the NFL’s first-ever Protector of the Year.
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