There was a hilarious case of mistaken identity during the TNF broadcast tonight. In a goof during the 49ers matchup against the Rams, the camera crew identified the wrong man as Trent Williams.
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Williams, who was ruled out prior to the game, must’ve gotten the shock of a lifetime to see himself on the TV screen during the TNF broadcast. Only it wasn’t him. It was his teammate Nesta Jade Silvera, whose all-black attire and matching beard perhaps confused the crew and announcer Kirk Herbstreit.
The NFL world collectively chuckled at this hilarious mix-up. One fan helpfully pointed out the identity of the man actually pictured on screen:
This is Nesta Jade Silvera. Not Trent Williams 😂 pic.twitter.com/a5fQIjgOR5
— Raiders Report Mitchell Renz (@MitchellRenz365) December 13, 2024
As some pointed out, there’s probably going to be some unpleasant repercussions for those involved:
Yikes: Amazon's broadcast confused a random player on the sidelines for Trent Williams.
Somebody is getting fired on production…. pic.twitter.com/fS5S37L8nQ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 13, 2024
Embarrassing honestly 😄
— DJ CuTToNe Bets (@DjCuTToNe) December 13, 2024
Someone hilariously brought in Kanye West, who also sports a similar beard, into the picture
Bro that’s Kanye west
— Nick Redcloud (@nick_redcloud) December 13, 2024
However, not everyone was amused by this blunder. Emmanuel Acho seemed especially incensed by this mixup as he pointed out that it is a “black has everything to with it.”
Respectfully, or disrespectfully, the director would not have mistaken a white guy for Trent Williams.
Nor the camera man that has headshots of the notable players attached to the cameras.
So black has everything to do with it, likely, as does the beard.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) December 13, 2024
“We don’t all look alike,” another presumably black fan noted.
@KirkHerbstreit we all don't look alike.
— 🇨🇴 (@bigrafael76) December 13, 2024
Warren Sharp was quite pissed off too, as he seemingly slammed Amazon for the production blunder:
how do you own TV rights but dont know what Trent Williams looks like pic.twitter.com/mq7k5FmyVB
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 13, 2024
Silvera is a second-year defensive tackle who signed with San Francisco’s practice squad in October.
As Herbstreit and play-by-play announcer Al Michaels discussed the Niners’ offensive line struggles this season, the camera found Silvera standing on the San Francisco sideline. A graphic for Trent Williams appeared under him, as Herbstreit said, “There’s Trent Williams, who’s a big part of the grit of that offensive line.”
Williams has been missing from action for four straight games due to an ankle injury. While Kirk might have been looking at the wrong man, he was right when he noted that Williams is a big part of the 49ers offensive line.
His absence has greatly contributed to the team’s woes this season. The offensive line has encountered issues with both run blocking and pass protection with him on the sidelines.
