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The San Francisco 49ers are widely expected to address their offensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft, possibly using their top pick—the 11th overall—to do so. Left tackle Trent Williams will be 37 when the season begins. While he continues to play at an elite level, injuries caused him to miss seven games last season.
For now, the 49ers anticipate that Williams will return in 2025, postponing retirement for at least one more season.
“Trent’s mindset is where it always is, and he’s still very interested in being [the] great player that he is,” general manager John Lynch said in January. “And I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank. So Trent’s as committed as ever, and we love having Trent Williams a part of us.”
Still, anything is possible, and Williams has plenty of time to reflect and potentially change his mind. If he does, the 49ers’ draft plans could shift significantly. While selecting a defensive lineman, cornerback, or even a wide receiver—given Deebo Samuel’s trade request—remains an option, Williams’ sudden retirement would create a need for an immediate successor at left tackle. In that scenario, the 49ers might have no choice but to use their first-round pick to secure his replacement.
“The 36-year-old was fantastic yet again, even in a shortened 2024 season,” Locker wrote. “Williams notched PFF pass- and run-blocking grades above 81.4, permitting only one sack on 381 pass-blocking snaps. At the same time, Williams didn’t play after Week 11 due to an ankle injury, and retirement very much appears to be on the table.
“Whether or not Williams suits up next season, general manager John Lynch will likely look to land a potential starter down the line at left tackle. But if Williams retires, that would make left tackle arguably the 49ers’ biggest need, trumping cornerback, edge defender and linebacker, as the team would need an instant starter to protect Purdy’s blindside.”
Most expect Purdy to sign the largest contract in franchise history—and one of the biggest in the NFL. Whether Williams returns or not, the 49ers must prioritize upgrading their offensive line to protect that investment if they hope to rebound from last season’s disappointing six-win campaign.
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As the San Francisco 49ers gear up for the offseason, one player could drastically alter their priorities: offensive tackle Trent Williams.
Williams, who was acquired in a trade with the Washington Football Team last year, has been a standout performer for the 49ers. His presence on the offensive line has been crucial in protecting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and opening up holes for the running game.
With Williams set to become a free agent this offseason, the 49ers will have to make a decision on whether to re-sign him or let him walk. If they choose to re-sign Williams, it could have a major impact on their offseason plans.
For one, re-signing Williams would solidify the offensive line and allow the team to focus on other areas of need, such as cornerback or edge rusher. It would also give the 49ers more flexibility in the draft, as they wouldn’t have to use a high pick on an offensive tackle.
On the other hand, if the 49ers choose not to re-sign Williams, they would need to find a replacement either in free agency or the draft. This could shift their priorities and force them to allocate more resources to the offensive line.
Ultimately, the decision on Trent Williams will be a key factor in shaping the 49ers’ offseason plans. His presence or absence could drastically alter their priorities and impact their ability to compete next season.
A Texas school district has acknowledged footage of one of its administrators telling an undercover journalist posing as a parent to change a transgender child’s birth certificate to compete in girls sports.
The Irving Independent School District in Irving, Texas, has provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the recent video of Reny Lizardo, the executive director of campus operations, giving this guidance, which was obtained by Accuracy in Media.
The statement indicates Lizardo has resigned from his position.
“In Irving ISD, we are committed to upholding the requirements of state and federal laws, especially as it pertains to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, and we will cooperate with any investigation initiated by relevant authorities,” the statement said.
“We are aware of the unauthorized video footage circulating on social media of an individual connected with Irving ISD. The videos were obtained under false pretenses by an individual who posed as a concerned parent and additional individuals who posed as family friends of the employee pictured.
“The individuals also held themselves out as members of the media, but were not credentialed as such, constituting a breach of security. In addition, the footage has been edited and is an incomplete representation of the entire conversation, making it difficult to properly assess its probative value.”
In the footage, Lizardo said, “It’s not illegal if you don’t get caught,” with regard to changing the gender on a child’s birth certificate, and “if you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that’s the gender we go with.”
While discussing potential repercussions of the discussion, Lizardo suggested pleading plausible deniability.
The district insists Lizardo’s handling of the situation does not reflect the values and protocols of the school district.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Lizardo for comment.
“We want to reiterate that Irving ISD complies with all state and federal laws, and all employees are expected to adhere to any and all legal and ethical standards. The message conveyed in the video, as presented, does not reflect the views nor policies of the district,” the statement said.
“Individual employees do not speak on behalf of the district. The individual identified was acting outside of his role as it relates to legal and regulatory expertise. While the matter continues to be under investigation, the individual identified in the video has tendered his resignation.”
The district’s statement concludes by claiming all of its athletes participate in the proper gender category.
“We can also confirm that all Irving ISD student-athletes are participating in their sport in accordance with the sex they were assigned at birth,” the district said. “Irving ISD is unwavering in our commitment to the safety and well-being of all of our students and staff. We remain focused on our primary function to maintain educational excellence and foster the full potential of our students.”
Texas is one of 25 states in the U.S. with a law that prevents or restricts transgender athletes from competing against girls and women. In June 2023, the state passed the Save Women’s Sports Act that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports and only allows students to compete in the gender category listed on their birth certificate.
The law only allows schools to recognize changes made to birth certificates that were made to correct a clerical error.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the footage involving Lizardo in a post on X and called for him to be fired and investigated.
“This Irving ISD Administrator should be fired on the spot. Both criminal & civil investigations must be taken against both the Administrator & Irving ISD,” Abbott wrote. “Has Irving ISD and its employees been involved in a fraudulent breach of state laws & a cover up? We must get the facts.”
Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.
The recent viral video of a school official telling parents to alter their trans child’s birth certificate in order to allow them to play on the girls’ sports team has sparked outrage and controversy within the community.
In response to the video, the school has issued a statement denouncing the actions of the official and confirming that they do not condone or support any form of discrimination or prejudice. The school has also launched an investigation into the incident and has taken immediate steps to ensure that all students, regardless of their gender identity, are treated with respect and dignity.
Furthermore, the school has announced that they will be implementing new policies and procedures to ensure that all students are able to participate in sports teams and activities in a fair and inclusive manner. The school is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students, and will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.
The video may have sparked controversy, but the school’s swift and decisive response demonstrates their commitment to upholding the values of equality and acceptance. It is clear that they are taking the necessary steps to address the issue and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Tags:
School response to controversial video
Trans student birth certificate controversy
Parental involvement in trans student sports
School policy on transgender student athletes
LGBTQ+ inclusion in school sports
Transgender rights in youth sports
School official’s statement on trans student birth certificate
Gender identity and youth athletics
School community reactions to trans student controversy
Ensuring fair play for transgender student athletes
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – DECEMBER 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during a game … [+] against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on December 28, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
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Less than three weeks to go until the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers’ season is circling the drain.
Heading into Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, the Sixers are 15-24, which puts them 11th in the Eastern Conference. They’re only 1.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls for the final spot in the East play-in tournament, but they’re now 4.5 games behind the No. 9 seed Miami Heat. It’s looking increasingly likely that they’ll have to win two road games in the play-in tournament just to draw a first-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There’s no guarantee that the Sixers will even surpass the Bulls and qualify for the play-in tournament, though. They’re currently riding a four-game losing streak, and 12 of their next 13 opponents are either .500 or above. The lone exception is the Bulls, whom they face on the second night of a back-to-back later this month.
They’ll likely be doing so without star center Joel Embiid. On Friday, the Sixers announced Embiid experienced “an increase in swelling” in his surgically repaired left knee following a workout. He’s set to miss at least the Sixers’ next three games and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days.
Embiid has played in only 13 games this season due to a combination of knee, face and ankle injuries. The odds of him staying healthy from here on out and guiding the Sixers on a deep playoff run this season seem slim to none. That should alter their strategy heading into the trade deadline, as they now have far less incentive to make a win-now move.
The Original Plan
Had the Sixers stayed healthy and lived up to their preseason expectations as a top-tier championship contender, their trade-deadline plan seemed fairly straightforward.
This past offseason, the Sixers signed KJ Martin to a two-year, $16 million contract that was well above what he otherwise would have received in free agency. They didn’t just do that out of the kindness of their hearts, though. They were giving themselves a decent-sized contract to dangle at the trade deadline.
Because the Sixers are over the $178.1 million first apron, they aren’t allowed to take back more salary via a standard trade exception than they send out in any deal. They are allowed to aggregate two smaller contracts for a bigger salary since they’re below the $188.9 million second apron, though.
In essence, they signed Martin to give themselves an $8 million contract that they could use for salary-matching in a trade. The Suns did the same thing with Josh Okogie, whom they signed to a two-year, $16 million deal this past offseason. They just shipped him to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday with three second-round picks for center Nick Richards and a 2025 Denver Nuggets second-rounder.
The Sixers are top-heavy in terms of salary. Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey are their only three players earning at least $9 million this season. Unless they trade one of those three, it’d be extremely difficult for them to acquire someone earning north of $20 million this season. Aggregating Martin with Eric Gordon ($3.3 million) would allow them to easily land someone in the $10-11 million range, though.
However, given the state of Embiid’s knee, the Sixers now have far less incentive to do so.
The Pivot
The second year of Martin’s contract is fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2026. If the Sixers move him by this year’s trade deadline, whichever team he lands on could waive him this summer and be left with no dead cap hit. In essence, he could be treated as an $8 million expiring contract.
However, since Martin is under contract through 2025-26, the Sixers don’t have to move him by the trade deadline. They could revisit those conversations this offseason or ahead of next year’s deadline. He wouldn’t have the same cap-relief benefit for whichever team acquires him—the Sixers would have to guarantee whichever portion of his contract they’d need for salary-matching purposes in a trade—but that’s still an option for them.
If the Sixers weren’t scuffling, they might have been more willing to move Martin for a player on an expiring contract, much like they did with Buddy Hield at last year’s trade deadline. They have less incentive to risk giving up assets for a potential short-term rental if they have little hope of competing for a championship this season, though.
Instead, the Sixers should pivot the other way and trade veterans who don’t fit into their long-term vision for any assets they can procure. It’s unlikely that they’d fetch much for Gordon, Andre Drummond or Reggie Jackson, but getting something for them now is better than potentially losing them for nothing in free agency this summer.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele might now be their two toughest decisions. Oubre has an $8.4 million player option for next season that he could decline to become an unrestricted free agent, while Yabusele is only on a one-year, veteran-minimum contract. Both could walk as free agents this offseason and leave the Sixers empty-handed.
The Sixers do have Early Bird rights on Oubre, which will allow them to offer him a four-year contract worth slightly more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. That should be enough to keep him in the fold, provided that they’re both interested in continuing their partnership. However, the Sixers have only non-Bird rights on Yabusele, so they’re fairly limited in how much they can offer him this summer.
If the Sixers aren’t optimistic about their chances of re-signing Oubre or Yabusele in free agency, it’d be worth exploring their market over the next few weeks. Trading either player for draft picks and/or young prospects would suggest that the Sixers are throwing in the towel on this season, but Embiid’s ongoing knee issues might have forced their hand in that regard.
Given the long-term uncertainty regarding Embiid’s health, the Sixers should not consider trading one of their distant first-round picks (2029 or 2031) at this year’s deadline. They also shouldn’t be willing to dangle the fully unprotected 2028 first-round pick that the Los Angeles Clippers owe them unless it’s for a home run on a multi-year contract.
The Sixers owe their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top six, so they’re less incentivized to tank than an injury-ravaged team in their position otherwise would be. However, that’s a sunk cost at this point. If the Sixers burn assets to salvage what’s left of this season, they’d just be doubling down on that mistake.
With Joel Embiid recently suffering a knee injury that will sideline him for an extended period of time, the Philadelphia 76ers should seriously reconsider their approach to the upcoming trade deadline. Embiid, who is the team’s star player and a vital piece of their championship aspirations, will be sorely missed on the court.
Without Embiid in the lineup, the Sixers will undoubtedly struggle to maintain their position in the Eastern Conference standings. This should prompt the team’s front office to explore potential trade options to bolster their roster and fill the void left by their injured center.
While it may be tempting to stand pat and wait for Embiid to return, the Sixers cannot afford to waste this opportunity to strengthen their team. They should be aggressive in pursuing trades that can improve their depth and provide additional scoring and defensive support in Embiid’s absence.
Ultimately, the Sixers’ trade-deadline strategy should be focused on maximizing their chances of success in the playoffs, even without their star player. Making the right moves now can help ensure that they remain competitive and positioned for a deep postseason run.
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