Last season, the San Francisco 49ers finished first in the NFC with a 12-5 record. The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl, but lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2024, the team returns with the same group of players. However, the core players have yet to make an impact and have not been seen this offseason.
Three-time All-Pro LT Trent Williams has three years left on his current contract. But the 36-year-old wants to be paid like the best tackles in the NFL. So Williams held out, not playing in a team practice or preseason game in 2024. According to sources, Williams could hold out until the regular season if it’s not resolved before Week 1.
Will the 49ers renegotiate Trent Williams’ contract ahead of the 2024 season?
at @gmfb: that #49ers And holdout WR Brandon Ayuk remains at odds, and a solution with holdout Trent Williams is not close. Meanwhile #jet Pass rusher Hasson Redick remains out of the team. pic.twitter.com/ig2ZADhrTi
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 28, 2024
Trent Williams was drafted fourth overall by the Washington Redskins in the 2010 draft. He played nine seasons in Washington and made seven Pro Bowls. However, Williams missed the entire 2019 season due to contract disputes and personal issues with the team. The standoff eventually ended and Williams was traded to the 49ers. San Francisco signed Williams to a six-year, $138 million contract. After Christian Darriso signed an extension with the Vikings, Williams was demoted to the fourth-highest-paid LT in the league with an average annual value (AAV) of $23 million. Houston’s LaRemy Tunsil and New York’s Andrew Thomas are ahead of Williams.
Trent Williams has been named First Team All-Pro the past three seasons. That type of production is why I think Williams should adjust his contract. You can’t blame the 11-time Pro Bowler for feeling that way. He’s been the best LT in the NFL the past three seasons. Christian McCaffrey and the entire Niners offense aren’t the same when Williams isn’t on the field. We saw that in 2023 when the Niners lost three straight games. Trent Williams didn’t play in any of those games due to injury. The Niners won their next six games when Williams returned in Week 10 against Jacksonville. There’s no denying that the Niners are more effective offensively when Trent Williams is on the field. It’s in the 49ers’ best interest to get a deal done before the regular season starts.
