Amid all of the contract extension noise that has surrounded Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers, the larger and potentially more detrimental contract holdout in the Bay Area surrounds All-Pro Left Tackle Trent Williams. Williams has not shown his face at any 49ers function since the end of the 2023 season when San Francisco lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Since the loss Williams has made it apparent that he is not willing to participate in any 49ers activities, whether optional or mandatory, and continues to be fined daily for his absence.
With preseason over, Trent Williams plans to continue his holdout unless his contract is reworked, placing Week 1 availability for #49ers into focus.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2024
(With @CrisAlexESPN) pic.twitter.com/ETPlNOAN3n
The Niners have had a lot of trouble locking down key players this offseason as Brandon Aiyuk and the Niners continue to seek a suitable trade for the wide receiver who played a major role in San Francisco’s offense in 2023. While the Niners have other downfield weapons in Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, San Francisco will have a hard time replacing Williams who has been a first team All-Pro member the past three seasons.
The lack of interest to rejoin his teammates this offseason, which could quickly bleed into the regular season, stems from the lack of guaranteed money that is remaining in Williams final three years of his contract. Williams is set to make $20.05 million in 2024, $22.5 million in 2025, and $32.1 million in 2026 but none of this money is guaranteed. While some may see this as Williams being greedy, the thought process surrounding his decision to not play or participate in any preseason activities seems to be sound given the amount of money the star Left Tackle could lose out on if he would succumb to injury at any point in the season. While Williams is widely considered to be the best Tackle in the NFL, his salary is only the fourth highest at his position and the push to adjust his contract continues to be highlighted from other players around the league like CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson becoming the top two highest paid players at their position.
Williams seems to be subscribing to the notion of continuing to “bet on himself”, with good reason, as his stats and accolades speak for himself. Whether you are a Niners fan or not, football is better with Trent Williams on the field and if he continues to stay vigilant during this holdout, it will be interesting to see how the Niners offense looks this year. The man that would replace Williams if he does not start or play this season is Jaylon Moore who has only recorded seven starts in three seasons in the NFL. Who knows if Moore will have to step up to the plate but if and when he does all eyes will be on him to see if he can make the important blocks to keep Brock Purdy’s jersey clean as well as open up key holes for star running back Christian McCaffrey.
