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The first came in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, when Williams suffered an ankle injury, tried to play through it, and ultimately missed the next two games, both 49ers losses. The second instance occurred in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, his first game back after the injury.
Williams has appeared in two games since returning from a prolonged holdout, during which he missed all of training camp and the preseason. As the regular season approached, the 49ers secured the 36-year-old Williams with a significant three-year, $86.6 million restructured deal.
There were concerns about whether Williams, having missed so much time, could get into game shape quickly enough. Those concerns seemed valid when, exhausted, he exited late in the Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets after practicing just a handful of times leading to the game, needing an IV.
"Obviously, there's rust involved, gotta get in football shape," Williams said after that game. "I hadn't played football. You can't really replicate the exhaustion that you kind of put yourself through during a football game, especially O-linemen. It's like pushing a truck every play.
Williams played all 70 offensive snaps against the Vikings on Sunday. While his run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus was an impressive 90.8, his pass-blocking grade was 71.5. For most players, that would be solid, but for a future Hall of Famer like Williams, it likely didn't meet his own expectations. His season pass-blocking grade of 75.2 is the lowest he's posted since his rookie 2010 campaign.
Williams' holdout has clearly affected his early-season form. Few doubt that he will improve as the season progresses, but after a 1-1 start, the Super Bowl-hopeful 49ers are eager to rebound. Sunday's performance in Minneapolis didn't reflect the championship potential they're aiming for.
"I think Trent played decent," head coach Kyle Shanahan said during a conference call on Monday. "There's definitely things he'd like to have back, but I didn't see him get tired or fatigued or anything like that. I don't really relate anything to that. It was just about the game yesterday."
As the season progresses, the 49ers will count on Williams to return to his dominant form. He and the team understand there's work ahead if they hope to realize their Super Bowl ambitions.
