Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers
Getty
Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers
T
he San Francisco 49ers have a lot of decisions to make this offseason. Finishing 12-5 and returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence, the 49ers saw their season come to a crashing halt in the NFC divisional playoffs, losing 41-6 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Dealing with a lot of injuries to several key players, the 49ers still managed to surpass expectations and be among the top teams in the league.
But the 49ers want more. Once the class of the NFC, the 49ers’ main goal in 2026 is to return to Super Bowl contention. However, in order to do that, the 49ers face several roster decisions that they need to address– none more notable than what to do with left tackle, Trent Williams. Entering the final year of his contract, Williams carries a massive cap number into the season that could severely affect how they conduct business this offseason. Set to carry a $38.8 million cap number this season, in a year where he will be 38-years-old, Williams and the 49ers are working on a new contract to keep him on the team while also lowering his cap number. But unfortunately, both sides appear to be far apart on a deal– with insider Mike Garafolo providing a grim update on Good Morning Football this week.
49ers and Williams ‘Not Close’ on a New Deal
At the end of February, a shocking report came out that the 49ers and Williams were in a contract standoff over his high cap number, with a possibility that he would be released and enter free agency if no new deal was agreed to. Well according to Garafolo, things appear to be the exact same between the two sides, which could be concerning considering how free agency starts next week.
“From my understanding, there’s been no progress since last week, when the 49ers talked about the optimism that they would get a new deal with Williams to remain with the 49ers heading into this upcoming season,” Garafolo said. “So there’s still work that needs to be done there in the next couple of days to make sure that Williams does not hit the market.”
Losing Williams would be a big blow for the 49ers– especially since they have no succession plan in place. Since joining the 49ers ahead of the 2020 season, Williams has continued his ascent to being the best left tackle in the league, earning five Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections while providing major stability to an otherwise inconsistent offensive line. If Williams leaves, the 49ers will be left scrambling for a replacement in a year where supply at the left tackle position is limited.
Williams’ Value
Despite his age, Williams is still playing at a high level, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors for the ’25 season. If he does end up hitting free agency, the market for Williams will be very high– with the future Hall of Famer confident that he still has multiple good years left in the tank before hanging it up.
“f he does (hit the market), there’s going to be interest, and my understanding is he still believes he’s got at least two, three good years left in that body, and he’s certainly playing like it,” Garafolo added.
But the 49ers brass is confident that a deal with their star lineman will come together. General manager John Lynch spoke at the NFL combine and made it sound like a divorce from Williams is an afterthought and something that they do not have in the cards for this year.
“Well, what I’ll tell you is that, in recent weeks, I’ve met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor, and had really good, productive, and substantive meetings,” Lynch said. “And so, here’s what I know: Trent loves being a Niner. We love having Trent as a Niner. And it’s up to us to figure that out, and to thread that needle. There’s some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he’s been. He’s gonna be 38 years old, and so, there’s some things that go into that, but I think we’re all on the same page, and I feel very positive about where that’s going.”