SANTA CLARA — There’s another 49er who’s dissatisfied with his contract situation.
While wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is holding in, All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is holding out.
“Contract-related,” Kyle Shanahan said after practice of Williams’ absence Wednesday. “John (Lynch) is speaking with his representatives, been doing it for a while.”
Williams, 36, has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, which keeps him under contract through 2026. In terms of average annual salary, Williams ranks third among left tackles at $23 million — behind only Laremy Tunsil and Andrew Thomas.
The 49ers owe Williams a base salary of $20 million in 2024. He has a cap number of more than $34 million in 2025 and $37 million in 2026 due to earlier bonus payments.
Shanahan declined to go into specifics about what Williams might be asking for in apparent negotiations, but the lack of guaranteed salary is likely a point of contention.
Whatever the specifics, Williams wasn’t at the facility as the team kicked off training camp at Levi’s Stadium on Wednesday.
“It’s something I knew could be a possibility,” Shanahan said of Williams’ holdout. “I was hoping he would be here, but I knew it could be a possibility. I feel pretty confident it’ll all work out in the long run and he’ll be here, and we’ll get on the same page with everything.”
By not reporting to camp, Williams is subject to mandatory, irreversible fines.
Even at this late stage of his career, Williams is so effective that he might be the single most irreplaceable player on the 49ers roster. Williams is coming off three consecutive All-Pro seasons and plays the most important non-quarterback position on offense.
According to NFL Analytics expert Scott Barrett, Brock Purdy had 28 touchdowns and only two interceptions while Williams was healthy last year compared to three touchdowns and nine interceptions when the left tackle was unavailable.
Because of how valuable Williams is, he should have a certain amount of leverage. Shanahan said Lynch, the team’s general manager, has been talking with Williams’ representation for some time.
After the three remaining years, Williams’ contract voids in 2027. It’s possible that the team could restructure his contract leading into that year, lowering his base salary but increasing the guaranteed money – which could be a win-win.
Missing a day of practice won’t be a big deal for Williams. But if talks continue through camp, as they have for some recent 49ers in contract disputes, the left tackle’s absence will be felt more and more.
“Shoot, that’s one of our best players, one of our leaders,” Fred Warner said Wednesday. “But we understand the business side of it. This isn’t our first rodeo. This is a curse and a blessing to have this many great players as part of our team. So you know, we’ll get it figured out.”
