Trent Williams prepares to face the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, three years after nearly joining them
Three years ago next month, 49ers tackle Trent Williams became a free agent. He could have signed with any team. Before returning to San Francisco, he nearly signed with the Chiefs.
As explained by Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, it came down to a dinner in Houston for Williams. He wanted to know by the time the check came the name of the team from which he'd be cashing checks in the future.
The 49ers had traded for Williams, who wanted out of Washington. He had one year left on his contract. It expired. He could have left.
And the Chiefs wanted him.
“Once I got the hunch Kansas City was ready to make it official, I called Kyle,” Williams said at the time, via Inman. “I couldn’t get it out and tell him. I said, ‘We just need to hurry it up, if you get my drift.’"
This week, Williams talked about the relationship he built with Chiefs coach Andy Reid during the recruitment process.
“Him and Pat [Mahomes] reached out a lot during free agency, so we built somewhat of a relationship with those guys,” Williams said Monday night.
Reid, via Inman, was pragmatic about the pursuit of Williams.
“I knew it’d be a long shot because he’s a big Kyle [Shanahan] fan,” Reid said Monday night. “He’s a great guy, a great player and a future Hall of Fame player. He’s got that youth thing going. He’s playing like he’s 20.”
On Sunday, he'll be playing in the first Super Bowl of his career. And he'll be trying to help the 49ers turn the tables from four years ago.
