Trent Williams still wasn’t on the field on January 1 for the San Francisco 49ers as they prepared for their regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Multiple practice reports this week have Williams sidelined with a hamstring injury, keeping his Week 18 availability in real doubt.
The 49ers officially tabbed Williams as questionable to play.
Key details (because this is why it matters today):
- The 49ers host the Seahawks on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium.
- Williams left last week’s win over the Bears after injuring his right hamstring on the first offensive play and did not return.
- San Francisco is operating on a short week, and GM John Lynch acknowledged the quick turnaround complicates the situation.
Trent Williams Misses Practice Again and the Stakes Are Loud
The 49ers’ week has been a slow drip of tension: Williams missed Tuesday’s session, and then he again wasn’t spotted at practice Wednesday as the team ramped up for Seattle. Coach Kyle Shanahan has already framed Williams as a true day-to-day call, and even the “normal rest day” context early in the week isn’t easing the concern when the DNPs keep stacking up.
This isn’t a minor storyline. Williams is Brock Purdy’s blindside bodyguard and a major piece of what makes San Francisco’s offense feel unfair when it’s rolling. When he’s limited (or out), the ripple hits everything: protection calls, run-game lanes, third-down survival, and how aggressive Shanahan can be with deeper-developing concepts.
What It Means for the 49ers (and Why Seahawks Fans Should Care)
If Williams can’t go, the 49ers have to live in backup-plan mode against a division opponent that doesn’t need extra motivation. Austen Pleasants filled in after Williams exited against Chicago, logging heavy snaps in relief, but asking a fill-in tackle to handle a pressure-packed Week 18 with major stakes is a very different animal.
It also puts more spotlight on the rest of San Francisco’s injury board. Christian McCaffrey (back stiffness) and George Kittle (ankle) have both been part of the practice-week conversation, and even “expected to play” tags don’t erase the reality that the 49ers’ margin gets thinner if their left tackle isn’t available.
For Seattle, this is the kind of update that can change the game plan before a single snap: more heat off the edge, more disguised pressure, more chances to tilt the field with one swing series, especially if the 49ers have to help the replacement with chips and slide protection.
Seattle isn’t the type of defense you want to “figure it out” against at left tackle. Under Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have generated pressure from everywhere, third in pressure rate (40.1%) via NFL Next Gen Stats, per the team site, and they’ve also been among the league leaders in sacks this season. That’s why Williams matters: he’s still grading as an elite difference-maker (PFF had him top-10 among tackles in pass blocking and near the very top as a run blocker).
What to Watch Next (the tell will be obvious)
The next two checkpoints are simple:
- Did Williams return at all later in the week? (even limited work matters)
- What does the final injury report say heading into Saturday night?
Right now, the headline is the same one that keeps landing: Trent Williams didn’t practice again, and when your All-Pro left tackle is trending the wrong way on a short week, it becomes the loudest “uh-oh” on the entire matchup board.
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