49ers news: Niners, Trent Williams in contract dispute
Free company is simply a few weeks away, and there could possibly be an surprising identify becoming a member of the group: San Francisco 49ers star left deal with Trent Williams.
Williams has been a bookend left deal with in San Francisco for the previous six seasons, incomes 5 Pro Bowl honors, three First-Team All-Pro picks, and one Second-Team All-Pro choice. The lone 12 months that Williams did not earn any awards was reduce quick as a result of accidents.
While the star is coming into his age-38 season, he’s nonetheless acting at a excessive degree and was anticipated to be the 49ers’ left deal with in 2026 with one 12 months left in the three-year, $82.66 million deal he signed in 2024.
However, Williams does carry a $38.8 million cap hit for the 2026 season, which might cowl almost 13 % of the cap. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers and Williams have struggled to discover a contract answer to decrease their cap hit for this 12 months, which may result in the left deal with hitting free company.
“With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers are currently struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources,” Schefter tweeted. “If the two sides can’t bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year’s free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.”
With one 12 months left, it could make sense that Williams desires one other one or two-year extension for extra safety. It would additionally make sense for the 49ers to discover a strategy to decrease that 2026 cap hit to create more room to bolster the present roster.
Losing a participant of Williams’s caliber could be crushing, because the 49ers have no rapid answer at left deal with. But it could even be pricey to launch Williams. According to OverTheCap, the left deal with has a $34.2 million lifeless cap hit if launched earlier than June 1st. That would decrease to $13.3 million if the 49ers designate him as a post-June 1st launch, with the remainder of the lifeless cash carrying over to 2027.
So it could even be fairly pricey to let Williams go, particularly with no obvious inheritor on the place. There remains to be time for the 49ers to discover a strategy to a decision, with free company not beginning for a pair extra weeks.
Currently, Williams’s common yearly wage of $27.5 million is fourth amongst tackles in the NFL. Rashawn Slater ($28.5 million per 12 months), Tristan Wirfs ($28.1 million per 12 months), and Penei Sewell ($28 million per 12 months) are the three highest-paid tackles in the mean time.
With the 49ers, there’s all the time a storyline in the offseason. The drama has begun.
