Trent Williams is set to play in the Super Bowl for the first time in his career when the 49ers take on the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.
Williams played a major role in San Francisco's championship run. The 35-year-old starred throughout the season and grades as one of the best left tackles in the NFL.
As incredibly as Williams has performed, the fact that he is on the field is even more amazing. Why? Because he experienced a cancer scare during his time in Washington.
Williams had a rare type of cancerous growth on his scalp that was potentially life-threatening. It left him wondering whether he would ever play football again.
Now, five years later, Williams is playing on the NFL's biggest stage and has a chance to earn a Super Bowl ring for the first time. He's made it a priority to remember every second he spends preparing for the Super Bowl.
"I've definitely taken it in," Williams told ESPN. "I'm continuing to take it in. I'm just thanking God every day because this is what you dream of, it's what you pray for, it's what you grind for. A lot of countless hours spent in the lab trying to perfect my craft and get better just to get an opportunity to get to this stage. So I'm very grateful being here, and I'm taking in every second."
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Here's what to know about how Williams beat cancer and how his scare ultimately landed him with the 49ers.
Trent Williams cancer scare, explained
Williams was diagnosed with a rare form of scalp cancer in 2019 when he was still a member of the Washington Redskins.
He revealed that his life was in legitimate danger after his diagnosis and that his doctors said it could be his "last days" as they explored treatment options.
"Every time I go into a locker room, every time I put the helmet on. I flash back and think about the time where Doc said, 'Get your affairs in order,'" Williams said on the Third and Long Podcast.
Williams explained he had a lump on his head "for years" but that Washington's medical staff, after becoming aware of it in 2013, instructed him not to worry about it. They believed it was a cyst.
However, "they kind of underestimated it," as Williams detailed in a 2019 news conference.
As such, the issue progressed over the years during which Williams wasn't getting treatment. Once the issue was uncovered, he was left hoping that the tumor — which he described as having "roots, like a plant" — hadn't made its way into his brain over the five-plus years since it was first discovered.
Williams said he knew the situation was serious after he was called into a doctor's office shortly after having an MRI.
"I think you need to get closer to your girls," the doctor told him. "It looks pretty serious, I don’t know how long you got left. You need to get your affairs in order."
Williams then visited another doctor who gave a more positive prognosis. Yes, he had cancer in his head and it was attached to his skull. However, it hadn't yet metastasized — or spread to other parts of his body — so surgery to remove the growth could save the cancer from entering his brain.
Williams got the surgery the next day. Time was of the essence, as the tumor was just weeks away from metastasizing through his skull, per NFL.com. The surgery wasn't exactly simple, but he beat the cancer, as the outlet detailed.
The surgeries incorporated about 30 percent of his scalp, skin grafts from his thigh and a few hundred stitches. But he'd survived cancer, he was able to circumvent chemotherapy, which he was told would have put a 15-year cap on his life, and the incisions in his head did not require him to retire from football.
Williams missed the entire 2019 season as a result of his illness and never played for Washington again. He demanded to be traded or released by the team, as he lost trust in the team's then-GM Bruce Allen and was upset by the team misdiagnosing him.
That eventually landed Williams in San Francisco, and he has thrived with the 49ers since while staying healthy.
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What kind of cancer did Trent Williams have?
The type of cancer that Trent Williams had is known as "dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFPS)."
Cleveland Clinic describes DFPS as "a rare type of skin cancer that starts in your skin’s middle layer (the dermis). This cancer grows slowly and rarely spreads. But it can return after surgical treatment. It may start in areas that have skin damage from burns, scars or tattoos."
DFPS affects approximately four of every 1 million people worldwide each year. Approximately one in 20 patients with DFPS see their cancer metastasize because of its slow-growing nature.
DFPS has a high survival rate with proper treatment, as the Cleveland Clinic notes. Thus, it's easy to understand why Williams was upset with Washington after the franchise let it linger on his scalp for six years.
How cancer scare led to Trent Williams' 49ers trade
As mentioned, Williams demanded a trade away from Washington after his cancer scare. He didn't play during the 2019 NFL season while recovering from his procedure and holding out from the team.
Despite this, Allen attempted to hold onto Williams and eventually get him back on the field. The plan did not work, and Washington eventually traded him during the 2020 offseason after Allen was fired.
Ultimately, the 49ers were able to buy low on Williams. He hadn't played in a year and Washington had little leverage knowing that the veteran tackle wouldn't play for them.
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Below is a look at what each team received in the Williams trade:
Trent Williams trade details
San Francisco gets:
- OT Trent Williams
Washington gets:
- 2020 fifth-round draft pick (C Keith Ismael)
- 2021 third-round draft pick (CB Benjamin St-Juste)
Suffice to say that the 49ers got the better end of that deal. Williams has been an All-Pro first-teamer in three of his four years with San Francisco and has widely been regarded as the NFL's best offensive lineman during his time with the 49ers.
Meanwhile, St-Juste developed into a productive starter for the Commanders — he logged 17 pass defenses in 2023 — but Ismael is no longer with the team. And St-Juste isn't close to the same caliber of player as Williams. As expected, the trade was a losing deal for Washington.
Williams may have been the biggest winner of the trade. He got to play for a contender, anchor a quality offensive line and finally have a chance to compete for a Super Bowl ring. With a win in Super Bowl 58, Williams can cap his comeback story in an amazing fashion.
"It would be like one of those fairy tales," Williams said of winning the Super Bowl, per ESPN. "It's like something you can only dream about. It's hard to even describe what that feeling would be like because I've never felt that feeling before. But I imagine it would be a memory that we would remember for life."
