One Area Where the 49ers Painfully Miss Trent Williams

Being without Trent Williams has negatively impacted the 49ers the most in this specific area.

Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) blocks Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Naquan Jones (96) during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It's no secret being without Trent Williams is hurting the San Francisco 49ers.

He's one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL and one of the best players on the 49ers. The impact he gives the 49ers both as a player and a leader is unquestionable. However, there is one area where the 49ers painfully miss Williams the most. That area is in the running game.

The 49ers rush offense has struggled without Williams this season, averaging just 4.1 yards per carry with Williams off the field, compared to 5.0 with Williams on, per Next Gen Stats. In addition, the 49ers have allowed a higher run stuff rate with Williams off the field (22.8 percent) compared to on (17.1 percent), averaging just 0.9 yards before contact per carry without Williams this season, compared to 1.8 yards before contact per carry with him on.

Running to the left side with Williams leading the charge was a cheat code for the 49ers. That cheat code is gone with Williams sidelined. The pass protection loses a step as well, but it hasn't significantly dropped with Williams out. Brock Purdy has faced the same quarterback pressures without Williams as he was with him, averaging 11 pressures a game.

So, Williams' loss is severely impacting the 49ers' ability to run the football dominantly. Being without him was always going to hurt the 49ers in every facet of their offense. But the running game is where his absence is being missed the most. The 49ers have to get used to life without Williams this year.

His chances of coming back are extremely unlikely due to an ankle sprain that isn't improving. He's already been ruled out against the Miami Dolphins and head coach Kyle Shanahan seems to lean towards Williams being out for the rest of the season.

"If he could get back to healthy, we’d play him," Shanahan said. "But, it's not like that right now, so it's getting closer to being that way."

There's zero reason to play Williams in the final two games of the year. Let him rest and make a full recovery so that he can focus on 2025. The last thing the 49ers want is for him to play and worsen his ankle injury. They run the risk of him spending the offseason rehabbing instead of getting himself in shape.

Shut him down now so that the running game won't have to sorely miss him next year like they are now.

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