Each Trent Williams and the 49ers have some incentive to explore a reworked contract for 2026 and beyond. While recent reports indicated that the 2 sides could conform to some resolution before the draft, it doesn’t sound like they’ve made up much ground in those talks.
In accordance with Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.com, there stays a “huge divide” between the offensive tackle and the 49ers. One source hinted that a move won’t be made until the 49ers are absolutely forced to make a call, while one other source noted that Williams has no incentive to take a brand new deal now.
The 49ers passed on Williams’ $10MM option bonus earlier this month, which bumped his $38.84MM cap number to an untenable $47MM. The front office is definitely pushing to cut back that number while enticing Williams with future guarantees. Nevertheless, as La Canfora points out, the offensive tackle doesn’t have much reason to take a contract that reduces his $33MM in 2026 money earnings. Williams remains to be attached to the three-year, $82.66MM deal he inked with the franchise back in 2024. While there’s still two years remaining on that pact, it doesn’t contain any guaranteed money beyond 2026.
This stare down can lead to a few potential outcomes. The trail of least resistance sees the perimeters conform to an extension that reduces Williams’ 2026 cap number, provides the player with future guarantees, and doesn’t drastically reduce his earning potential for this upcoming season. If the 2 sides can’t work out a deal, then the 49ers could look to trade the lineman, who would surely have a “robust” market, per La Canfora. Nevertheless, recent reports indicated that San Francisco didn’t have interest in trading the star OT.
The 49ers could also decide to cut the player, although the organization would surely drag that call out to the last minute. That scenario would see Williams looking for a landing spot right before the beginning of Week 1 while risking reduced earnings for 2026. It might make sense for the player to blink before negotiations got to that time, although Williams has a history of creating these standoffs uncomfortable.
He famously sat out your complete 2019 season in Washington in consequence of failed contract talks, culminating in him being dealt to the 49ers in 2020. He later signed a six-year, $138MM deal together with his recent squad that made him the highest-paid OL within the NFL, and that aforementioned 2024 extension was a record for a non-quarterback over the age of 35. All of the while, Williams has continued to perform as certainly one of the league’s premier offensive tackles, with Pro Football Focus consistently rating the veteran contained in the top-three on the position throughout his 49ers tenure.
While there’s no urgency to finish a brand new deal today, things will certainly heat up if the 2 sides don’t conform to a revised contract over the following few months. At that time, there will probably be worthy questions on Williams’ ability to complete his profession in San Francisco.