49ers OT Joe Staley Retiring Proves Team Made Perfect Move to Trade for Trent Williams

The San Francisco 49ers ended the drama between Trent Williams and the Washington Redskins by trading for the veteran left tackle. This instantly set up a question of what role Joe Staley would assume in 2020.

The career 49er has been with the team since 2007 and made six Pro Bowls. Yet the injuries hit last year and he only appeared in seven regular season games. Staley announced his retirement from the NFL via Twitter on Saturday after San Francisco traded for his replacement.

It’s been a hell of a ride. Thank you pic.twitter.com/V2VB2xKDzp
— Joe Staley (@jstaley74) April 25, 2020

This ends an amazing career for the left tackle who started all 181 of the games he appeared in. Staley was the No. 28 overall pick in 2007 and started all 16 games eight times in his career. Unfortunately, several injuries forced him into retirement.

Here’s what helped set into motion the Trent Williams’ trade: six-time Pro Bowl and All-Decade OT Joe Staley is expected to retire due to health concerns, per league sources. The 35-year-old Staley wanted to inform the 49ers in a timely way to help find a replacement. They have.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2020

Staley let the 49ers know he would retire and the team wasted no time acquiring his replacement. Williams is a seven-time Pro Bowler and did not play a single down in 2019, so realistically he should be at full health.

The retirement of a left tackle can sometimes be tough to recover from. The 49ers stayed prepared and may have even got an upgrade over the retired Staley. Having proper communication with players is something the Redskins can learn from.