Trent Williams Reveals the Benefits of the 49ers' Aging Roster

This is true.

Oct 11, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) celebrates on the field after defeating the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams highlights the advantages of having an experienced, veteran-heavy roster.

Williams is one of the oldest players on the team, but many of the stars synonymous with San Francisco’s success over the past few years are either approaching 30 or already past that age range.

As a result, the 49ers have one of the oldest rosters in the league, something Williams believes can provide an intriguing recruitment model for younger players to learn from and follow.

"All our young, super talented guys that we have, pretty much every position room has a north star, somebody that they can look to and actually follow and literally learn how to do it the way we do it," Williams said on the TK Show podcast.

"I think it's a beautiful structure to the locker room, having a guy like [newest wide receiver addition] Keenan [Allen], just a guy that knows how to win.

"Obviously, he's a household name. If you play in this league any amount of time, you know who Keenan Allen is. To have another guy like that in the fold, and gritty too, one of those players that plays their butt off, carries his heart on his sleeve, a really good natural-born leader. So, just really happy to see what they did.

Oct 4, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) on the field prior to a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's just talent coming out of the woodwork," Williams added. "But yeah, you look in that huddle, and not only do you see the stars, the guys with all the Pro Bowls, but you see the guys with careers budding in that direction.

"I would say that this is one of the more talented teams that I've been on, and I think one of the more composed teams, too. I'll say that.

"And I think the veteran leadership definitely plays a huge part in that."

Veterans offer an abundance of knowledge, experience and insight that younger players can lean on as they develop. Williams believes this is the type of roster-building model Shanahan would favor, although it does come with potential drawbacks, as older players are naturally more susceptible to injuries.

"It does seem more and more like a team that Kyle loved, from top to bottom, is what he preferred.

"I would hope so, but it's too early to tell. We're only eight games in. We ain't even halfway there yet."

The 49ers are 7-1 and the top seed in both the NFC West and the conference.