Trent Williams in contract dispute with San Francisco 49ers

INDIANAPOLIS — Nothing screams young man’s game more than the Scouting Combine, where more than 300 of the top college football prospects gather to get poked, prodded and analyzed by all 32 NFL teams.

Yet one of the oldest players in the league has emerged as one of the top stories in Indianapolis. And he has a distinctive California connection.

San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams, the club’s 38-year-old anchor who seemingly gets better with age, is entering the last year of a contract that will pay him $22.21 million next year, and includes a $10 million bonus that kicks in on March 20.

Lost in all that is the fact that none of that money is guaranteed, and the contract carries a $38.84 million cap hit for the 2026 season.

For multiple reasons, Williams and the 49ers want to figure out a mutually beneficial new contract that provides significant guaranteed money for him while reducing his strain on the 49ers’ salary cap.

Most importantly, the 49ers need to know what Williams means to the overall 53-piece financial puzzle they are building.

Not just for this season, but for the foreseeable future.

Hence, the queasy feeling that arose when a recent report surfaced suggesting that Williams and the 49ers were experiencing complications threading that needle. Followed by the energy rush provided by 49ers general manager John Lynch, who painted a far rosier picture of things.

Speaking at the Combine this week, Lynch told reporters that the ongoing conversations he’s had with Williams and his agent Vincent Taylor have been “really good, productive and substantive.”

That doesn’t mean a deal will come to fruition, but clearly Lynch feels like there is enough common ground available to create a pathway to a new agreement.

It helps, of course, that both sides are motivated to get something done.

“Here’s what I know,” Lynch said. “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.”

That said, even Lynch concedes that the dynamics in play do create some complications.

It’s indisputable that Williams is still one of the best tackles in the NFL after finishing last season as the third-highest-graded player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. The only two players graded higher than him are the Lions’ Penei Sewell and the Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs.

It’s also irrefutable that Williams is at an age when football players are typically transitioning into the next chapter of their lives and, quite frankly, when their play is liable to start sliding in the wrong direction at any moment.

Balancing those realities and figuring out how much money to reinvest in him, and for how long, is a real consideration for the club. And from Williams’ perspective, something to ponder relative to what he’s willing to accept on a new deal.

“There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he’s been,” Lynch said. “He’s going to be 38 years old, and so there are some things that go into that.”

From the 49ers’ position, it makes sense that they want to mitigate the age risk by being practical in how much fully guaranteed money they pump into a new extension. Clearly, they want to avoid shouldering a huge financial hit on a declining player down the road.

But history shows it’s never as easy as all that. And that’s why the possibility exists that this could take a while before it’s resolved.

Remember, Williams and the 49ers faced a similar dilemma two years ago, resulting in a prolonged Williams holdout in training camp.

The 49ers and Williams eventually agreed to a new deal that guaranteed him $48 million while totaling $82.66 million over three years.

From Williams’ point of view, a new deal along similar lines should be the goal. He’s showing no signs of slowing down, has remained neck and neck with the other top tackles in the league, and deserves a chance to be paid alongside them.

At least in terms of the guarantees and how they total out every year.  

Given the importance of the position he plays and the fact that the 49ers don’t have a short-range or long-range in-house candidate to eventually replace him, Williams holds considerable leverage.

Perhaps enough to pull off another extension that fully guarantees him $50 million.

All that remains to be seen. But with the 49ers still very much in win-now and the immediate future mode, it’s nearly impossible to envisage a world where he isn’t in the fold for two to three more years.

Maybe that is why Lynch is so hopeful.

“I think we’re on the right track,” he said. “And I know this, he’s been a tremendous asset to our organization. We love having him. My hope, and I’ve shared this with Trent, is that his name’s up in there in the rafters with the greats that have played for the Niners because he certainly fits that category.”

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters