Trent Williams finally finds himself free of the Washington Redskins and he can thank Nick Bosa and that San Francisco 49ers defense for the help. Williams, who sat out all of last season after a dispute with the Redskins, was traded to the NFC champion 49ers in a draft-day deal. Williams, an All-Pro offensive lineman, can’t wait to begin his new chapter in San Francisco.

Trent Williams’ life with the Redskins

At every level, Trent Williams has been a dominant offensive lineman. For four years, Williams played offensive tackle at the University of Oklahoma and was a unanimous All-American in his senior year. Williams was the fourth overall player selected in the 2010 NFL draft, taken by the Washington Redskins.

Just as he did at Oklahoma, Williams excelled in the National Football League. From 2012-2018, Williams made the Pro Bowl. During the 2016 season, Williams was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy but still managed to make his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl.

According to a 2019 report by NFL Network, Williams had been suffering from a serious medical condition. It was reported Williams had a growth or tumor on his head. The growth had reportedly been noticed in 2013, but Williams claimed the Redskins didn’t deem it serious. In 2019, Williams didn’t report to camp and reportedly demanded a trade. He sat out the entire year and was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in April.

Nick Bosa and San Francisco’s dominating defense

While Trent Williams was on the sidelines for the 2019 season with the Washington Redskins, Nick Bosa and the 49ers were having quite a season. Bosa, drafted second overall in the 2019 NFL draft, was guiding the Niners to a berth in the Super Bowl with a stingy defense. Bosa was named the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

A defensive end, Bosa made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season after registering nine sacks. Bosa also had 47 tackles, including 32 solo. He also had a forced fumble and an interception. Bosa also recovered a pair of fumbles.

Bosa comes from a very big football family. His brother Joey is a defensive lineman for the Los Angeles Chargers. Joey Bosa, who also played at Ohio State, was drafted third overall in the 2016 NFL draft. Bosa’s father, John Bosa, was a first-round pick out of Boston College. The Miami Dolphins selected him in the 1987 NFL draft.

Bosa’s defense was enticing to Williams

The marriage between Trent Williams and the Washington Redskins was ugly and beyond repair. It was beneficial for both sides for them to move apart. On the night of the draft, the Redskins traded Williams to the San Francisco 49ers for a pair of draft picks. Williams, according to Ian Rapoport’s RapSheet and Friends podcast, said the 49ers were high on his list of desirable landing spots, mainly because of the Bosa-led defense.

“When I looked for a team to go to, I looked at the opposite side of the ball to see who can I sharpen my iron on every day in practice because when I get out there on the field, I can’t come up with a rust excuse. All that to me doesn’t exist,” Williams said. He said the 49ers defense may be the best in the league.

“When you think about defensive lines that get after the quarterback, I think anybody with a pulse is going to throw the 49ers’ front out there within the first, second, or third groups to mention,” Williams said. “So that in itself excites me as a competitor, because I know I can get some of the best work done during the week. On Sundays, you’re not going to see too many guys better than that group. Especially not any individuals that much better than (Nick) Bosa. I think they just don’t have that many guys in the league that are better than him. So, I think for me, it’s going to do everything for me to get me back to where I know I can be at.”