Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
Getty
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers and Trent Williams remain at an impasse over a new deal. Williams is facing a cap hit of nearly $47 million after the team chose not to pick up his $10 million roster bonus.
Restructuring his contract could reduce that cap number and potentially add guaranteed money to a deal that currently has none, according to Pro Football Talk. Moreover, the Niners appear ready to ramp up talks to ensure this situation doesn’t linger any longer than necessary.
On March 29, the SF Standard’s David Lombardi shared the latest on the 49ers’ plans to resolve the situation with their veteran offensive lineman.
“John Lynch says that 49ers’ talks with Trent Williams have ‘intensified’ over the past week,”Lombardi wrote on X. “He thinks ‘we’re on the precipice of something good.'”
In 2025, Williams played 996 snaps for the 49ers, allowing four sacks and eight hits while committing four penalties.Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 91.5, ranking him third among all offensive tackles.
Furthermore, his run-blocking grade was 92.8, while his pass-blocking grade was 79.9. Williams gave up 32 total pressures in pass protection, including four sacks and eight hits.
Richard Sherman Weighs In on Trent Williams Situation
Amid this concerning issue, former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman weighed in on whether San Francisco would be willing to cut ties with Williams this offseason.
“I think they’ve gotten frustrated, not with Trent Williams, but just with the dead‑money situation that they’ve run into year after year,” Sherman said onthe March 26 edition of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.”
“I think they’ve been among the top dead‑money teams for the last few years because of Javon Hargrave’s contract, Deebo Samuel, and so many other guys that they’ve had to part ways with for whatever reason.
“They’re trying to get away from that. I don’t think they want to throw more dead money into the future. I think they’re trying to take their licks now. Again, I haven’t talked to John [Lynch] or Kyle [Shanahan], but I obviously don’t see them getting rid of Trent Williams.”
49ers Appear Wanting to Keep Trent Williams
Moreover, Sherman believes that Williams has leverage in this situation with the 49ers. Nonetheless, as time passes, the veteran offensive lineman loses it, which is why the former player doesn’t see either party wanting to part ways.
“Trent feels like he has a tremendous amount of leverage,” Sherman added. “Obviously, the longer these negotiations go on, the less leverage I think Trent has because teams are going to spend the money. They’re going to pay guys, they’re going to start to plan for next year, they’re going to start to think, ‘Hey, this situation’s done.’
“Teams can’t just create $30 million in cap space out of nowhere. Some teams can, but the contenders usually have a tight cap situation. I think this situation is going to get rectified. Obviously, it’s been a bit of a distraction this offseason, but both sides want to be here. Both sides want Trent Williams in San Francisco, and that’s something I believe, and I think that’s what’s going to ultimately happen.”