It's always an entertaining exercise to see which star players show up for a team's voluntary organized team activities any given offseason. If someone notable isn't attending, it usually opens up the door to talk about possible contract disputes or some other form of controversy.
While that can always be the case, it's not automatic.
And it shouldn't automatically be assumed with the San Francisco 49ers' future Hall of Fame left tackle, Trent Williams.
Williams isn't in attendance for the Niners' opening week of OTAs, which reporters at the open-media session quickly called out to head coach Kyle Shanahan during his presser. When asked about Williams' absence, Shanahan clarified the perennial All-Pro had been at the facility earlier before on-field workouts began but wasn't there for this particular phase.
"Yeah, he’s been around," Shanahan said of Williams. "He was here at the beginning of Phase One, hasn’t been here in a couple weeks, but expect to see him soon."
There wasn't any follow-up to that answer. Nor should there be.
Trent Williams' OTA absence isn't a big deal
Sure, other high-profile San Francisco stars opted to show up to the voluntary workouts, including tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner, running back Christian McCaffrey and a newly well-compensated quarterback, Brock Purdy.
Williams, soon to turn 37 years old, has often skipped OTAs in the past before, opting to prepare for the upcoming season at his home in Texas. Given his age and pedigree, it's hard to argue he hasn't earned that right. While his decision to hold out from training camp in search of a new contract last offseason wasn't particularly great, it's important to remind fans that camp is still a very long ways away.
On top of that, Williams has nothing to prove to the 49ers. Despite his advanced age, he's still one of the NFL's best tackles going, although his absence does afford Shanahan and Co. to get some extended looks at potential backups like Andre Dillard, Austen Pleasants, Spencer Burford and Nicholas Petit-Frere.
Those fringe names will look to take advantage.
Williams' absence isn't exactly news until mandatory minicamp hits, and the Niners are expected to kick that phase of offseason workouts off on June 10.
Should Williams not be present for that, then it'll raise a few alarm bells.
Not now, though.
