The NFL Network revealed 49ers left tackle Trent Williams as No. 40 on its Top 100 Players of 2026 list on Monday, and X immediately broke into two camps.
Williams checked in at No. 45 a year ago, so the five-spot jump reflects another strong season. He turned 38 this year and is entering his 16th NFL campaign.
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However, a group of fans called him past his prime.
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“Hes washed man and hes a dirty player,” one fan tweeted.
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“Forty? Guess he’s finally getting the ‘off‑the‑bench’ recognition he deserved,” another fan commented.
“Hes washed,” a third added.
Another set of fans insisted the ranking undersells him.
“Hell yeah! Trent still a menace at that age. Absolute dog, protect the QB all day. #49ers,” one fan tweeted.
“Trent Williams at #40 is highway robbery. He’s still an absolute cheat code on that left side!” a second fan commented.
“Ranking a future First-Ballot Hall of Famer at 40 when he still erases elite pass rushers every single week is insane. He is easily a Top 15 player in football,” a third added.
Meanwhile, his teammates reacted to the ranking. Tight end George Kittle called him the best left tackle in NFL history, saying the 49ers feel comfortable leaving him alone against any pass rusher because “he’s physical when he needs to be. He’s finesse when he needs to be.” Lineman Colton McKivitz added that some of what Williams does athletically “it’s not even human sometimes.”
Williams played all 16 games and 997 offensive snaps last season, posting a 91.5 Pro Football Focus grade. He was flagged just four times while surrendering only 32 pressures and four sacks all year.
Where Trent Williams fits in bigger 49ers picture
San Francisco has placed four players on this year’s list, and Trent Williams wasn’t even the highest-ranked lineman-adjacent teammate. Kittle came in at No. 46, followed by linebacker Fred Warner at No. 54 and quarterback Brock Purdy at No. 85.
Drafted No. 4 by Washington in 2010 before a 2020 trade sent him to San Francisco, Williams signed a two-year extension through 2027 that he’s acknowledged will likely be his last contract. NFL Media’s Bobby Kownack noted that Williams has kept his sack rate under 1% for five straight seasons, leaving him “a couple shots left at an elusive Super Bowl ring” to finish out a Hall of Fame résumé.
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein