Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

During his long holdout, Trent Williams found it difficult to stay away from the San Francisco 49ers. Although he knew the decision was crucial to his financial future, the competitor in him was eager to be back with his teammates.

When asked what he expected from the 49ers, Williams replied, “Just safety. It’s obviously an unstable league. I have my status, my age. I thought safety was important, and that was it.”

Questions have been raised about how much longer the 36-year-old can keep playing. However, Williams remains at the peak of his game and is still widely regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, regardless of position. Has the offensive lineman ever considered retirement during this time?

“No,” Williams replied. “This off-season has been very, very productive for me. Obviously not in the football sense, but in the sense of getting ready for football. My training, at 36, has just been finding different ways to try and get one percent better.

“I think this year, this off-season, I’ve had a really good off-season. My coach, James Cooper, and I, we’ve been thinking about it really early on, changing a little bit of things, little things in my life that I think I should weed out when I’m older. I felt really good after this off-season, so to speak.”

This off-season gave Williams time to reflect on his career and the years ahead, hoping to continue playing as long as he can make an impact on the pitch.

The offensive lineman admitted that being away from the team was a major benefit.

“It lets me know that I’m still hungry,” Williams explained. “I still miss the game. If I’m sitting there in that depression, having to get up and watch the league, going to every training camp, watching those practices together, watching preseason, you think about a kid who can’t get out for recess and has to watch everyone through the window.

“It was definitely ups and downs, and there were times where I didn’t know if it was really worth it, times where I just needed that camaraderie. I wanted to see my boys. I hadn’t seen them in a long time. The last time we were together, it clearly wasn’t what we wanted.

“So, just being able to feel that camaraderie, seeing (offensive line coach Chris) Foerster. He’s a family member to me. He’s as close to me as my uncle. That’s Coach Foerster first to me. … It was a time where talking to a guy like Coach Foerster would really be good for me. So it’s those kinds of things you miss.”

Now that Williams and the 49ers have agreed to a three-year contract worth a reported $82.66 million, the focus can shift to next season. For Williams, the goal remains as clear as ever: winning a championship.

“I want to play until I’m 40,” Williams noted. “When I see (former Rams OT Andrew) Whitworth win the Super Bowl at 41 or 42, I’m like, ‘Why not me?'”

That could happen to Williams this season. The 49ers have one of the NFL’s most talented rosters and are favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl again.