Williams has no guaranteed money left on his deal but still has three years remaining on the six-year, $138.06 million contract he signed in 2021. It was the largest contract ever given to an offensive lineman at the time. Currently, Williams is the sixth-highest-paid offensive lineman, averaging $23.01 million annually, while Tristan Wirfs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leads the group at $28.12 million per year.
ESPN's Adam Schefter, appearing on the "Pat McAfee Show," explained why the Williams situation might be more complicated than most think.
"You know, the tricky part about this one is you're talking about a guy that's as dominant as any offensive tackle in all football," Schefter said. "He's been great. He's been unbelievable. He's so good. Future Hall of Famer. He's also 36 years old and he's got, I believe, [three] years left on his contract.
"And so these offensive linemen, their value is huge, immense work, and the Niners know it. But they're also in a situation where, again, I think that they've gone and paid Williams a couple of different times, and he's 36.
"So you have to balance how do you do that? How do you figure out a way to keep him happy and keep your salary cap situation intact at a time when you know the Brock Purdy extension is coming down the pike after the season? You got Brandon Aiyuk, who wants his money. You're paying these other guys. So it's a challenging situation that they have not yet figured [out]."
Schefter added that Williams' absence from training camp isn't a big problem. He's a veteran and remains one of the best in the game. Resting the 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro isn't the worst scenario in the world.
"The fact that he's missing camp right now, that may be a bonus, not a drawback," Schefter commented.
The 49ers did sign two of their other offensive stars, running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, to contract extensions, lowering each's salary cap hit for 2024.
Williams is scheduled to earn $20.05 million this year and counts just $10.8 million against the salary cap. That cap hit increases to $34.1 million in 2025 and $37.8 million in 2026.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers' Trent Williams explains why Deebo Samuel could be better than ever
Tackle Trent Williams is among the many San Francisco 49ers players excited to have wide receiver Deebo Samuel back on the roster. During Thursday night's broadcast of the preseason game against the Tennessee Titans, the veteran offensive lineman went so far as to say that the... -
Trent Williams makes a bold claim about the 49ers' D-line in 2026
The San Francisco 49ers' defensive front struggled with consistency last season, unable to consistently stop the run or pressure opposing quarterbacks. That came despite the team's top decision-makers emphasizing the drafting of stout run defenders and investing in pass-rush... -
49ers' Christian McCaffrey contract speculation emerges after training camp setback
NFL situations are often overanalyzed by the media, and that may be the case with San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey's recent training camp setback. McCaffrey has not practiced since August 8, when he was sidelined by what the 49ers described as... -
Why Kyle Shanahan felt comfortable sitting the 49ers starters vs. Titans
San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins is projected to start this season, and he played Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans. Aside from Collins, however, the rest of the 49ers' projected starters sat out the preseason opener. Meanwhile, the Titans played...