The San Francisco 49ers played against the New York Jets in their first game of the 2024 season. As the San Francisco team was ahead of the Jets with 29-13 in the fourth quarter, at that time, what caught the attention of many enthusiasts was the Niners OT Trent Williams and his pullout by coach Kyle Shanahan. So, was Williams injured? Why did he go to the locker room?

According to ESPN NFL reporter Nick Wagoner on X, “#49ers LT Trent Williams just walked to the locker room after that drive” (after Jake Moody’s goal). Many tried speculating the reason, with Wagoner guessing, “Fatigue, perhaps?” Williams was seen being removed from the play by HC Kyle Shanahan. Many were also hoping that “it’s just for an IV, and nothing too serious.”

Later, it was revealed that the speculations of fans and reporters were true, as he was feeling dehydrated. This happened just as kicker Jake Moody nailed his fifth field goal of the night. Even when the media asked the team about Williams’ abrupt exit from the game in that quarter, they informed that Williams was receiving IV fluids in the locker room.

There’s no doubt that the NFL games can be exhausting, after all, they last for over three hours on average. Hence, any player could feel dehydrated while playing. During a post-game press conference, Trent Williams was asked about his health and why he left the gridiron in between the games.

To which, the OT responded, “I was cramping. But other than that, it was pretty good. A couple long drives, especially when we kept coming back with the penalty. That hurt. But adrenaline rushing, I got great teammates. We love competing with each other, so it kept me going.” Williams did return to the game, helping his team secure the 32-19 over the Jets.

Trent Williams’ role in the impressive win against the Jets

The 49ers were back at home for the first time since 2020, under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football,” and what a night it was! After a long wait, they welcomed the Jets and secured a 32-19 victory. Among the heroes who contributed to the win was Trent Williams, besides Brock Purdy, Brandon Aiyuk, and others.

Williams, who had just returned to the field after signing a revised deal (“three-year, $82.66 million reworked contract, with up to $48 million guaranteed”), contributed to the win. He kept the Jets’ defense from putting any real pressure on the quarterback. He was in the game for 33-pass blocking snaps.

This means it was his first game without allowing pressure since 2022, and he made sure to leave his mark. Consequently, Purdy could easily steal the scores from the Jets, leading his team to an effortless win over the Jets! So, it’s now safe to say that paying Trent Williams was indeed a great idea by coach Kyle Shanahan and the team.