A new wrinkle has emerged for Sunday's NFC West matchup between the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
On Friday, the Seahawks' starting center, Connor Williams, abruptly decided to retire from the NFL immediately, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald announced.
The 27-year-old Williams was in his seventh NFL season, also playing for the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. Williams signed with Seattle during training camp and had played every offensive snap this season after suffering a torn ACL in 2023 with Miami.
In his place, the Seahawks will turn to second-year center Olu Oluwatimi to start Sunday at Levi's Stadium. The 2023 fifth-round pick has played just four offensive snaps in 2024; he had 129 snaps across 16 appearances last season -- with one start. Oluwatimi didn't play at all on offense during the two Seahawks-49ers matchups in 2023.
Seattle's offensive line already was struggling this season and frequently has been ranked among the worst units in the NFL. Earlier this week, for example, Pro Football Network labeled the Seahawks' line as the 29th-best out of 32 teams -- and that's before Williams' sudden departure.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been sacked 28 times through nine games, which is tied for fifth-most in the NFL. A slew of injuries at right tackle could be partly to blame, though now Seattle's line will have to rebuild chemistry with another change right in the middle of it.
This disarray is a welcome development for San Francisco, where the defensive line hasn't been as impactful in 2024 as in past years. In particular, the 49ers are thin at defensive tackle after Arik Armstead's offseason departure and Javon Hargrave's season-ending injury. So, an easier matchup -- which includes a familiar face in former San Francisco and current Seattle left guard Laken Tomlinson -- could help the 49ers' defensive line build some needed momentum for the second half of the NFL regular season.
San Francisco 49ers
It also gives the 49ers a reason to be grateful for their stability on the offensive line this season, particularly with its own center Jake Brendel. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan discussed Brendel's importance Friday after practice when asked about Williams' retirement.
“It's huge at center. It's huge at every position. The O-line it's so big because him and the quarterback are the only two guys who touch the ball every play," Shanahan told reporters. "When you miss a center, it's always hard for the quarterback, and then it's hard for the rest of the O-line because they make so many calls. They're the second quarterback out there. So it all depends on your backup, though, and how comfortable you are with them.”
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