Trent Williams ended his holdout and returned to the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday with a new contract and Ricky Pearsall seems to be a big reason he returned to the team.
Pearsall was shot in the chest over the weekend during an attempted robbery. While the rookie wide receiver survived the incident and seems to be doing well, it made an impact on Williams. When meeting with the media after agreeing to his new deal, the 11-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle explained that the Pearsall incident made him want to return to be with his teammates.
"In my mind I'm like, 'Man I just want to get back, get around the team,'" Williams said. "Ricky stood out to me because when I popped in for OTAs for about the 30 minutes I was here, he did go out of his way to come and introduce himself to me."
He added, "For him to come up and kind of introduce [himself], and I just instantly felt this vibe and could just feel he's such a genuine person. So seeing that happen, I'm like 'Man I just want to get back ... and be there for the team.'"
Williams's full comments on Pearsall are below.
Trent Williams said that Ricky Pearsall’s shooting made him want to come back sooner more than anything.
— Matt Lively (@mattblively) September 3, 2024
He said he wanted to be there for the guys and around the team after the incident. #FTTB | #49ers pic.twitter.com/ZZ9uzoG1Yw
Williams is a longtime veteran and has been named first team All-Pro in each of the last three seasons. The 36-year-old is not only one of the best tackles in the NFL, he also garners immense respect from other players. His return to the 49ers should be a boost on the field and in the locker room.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Trent Williams Says Ricky Pearsall Shooting Motivated Him to End Contract Holdout.
