The 49ers had a hold-in, and a holdout. The hold-in has signed his new contract. The holdout remains out of pocket, a week before Week 1.
Will the 49ers, after finally getting receiver Brandon Aiyuk signed, get tackle Trent Williams back in the fold?
On August 21, coach Kyle Shanahan said of the talks with Williams, “Hopefully, it’s getting close.” At about the same time, former Williams teammate in Washington, DeSean Jackson, strongly suggested that Williams would be showing up soon.
As August has become September, Williams still hasn’t agreed to terms.
Rarely will players under contract skip game checks. Williams once sat out an entire season, due to his discontent with Washington. He has shown he’s not one to bluff. He’s proven that, when he takes a stand, he stands firm.
Williams is due to make $20.05 million this year. As new-money average goes, he’s currently sixth among all tackles, at $23 million. With three years left on his contract, he has no remaining guarantees.
Of course, if he’s on the Week 1 active roster, his 2024 salary becomes essentially guaranteed, due to the CBA rules for vested veterans. If he’d be released at any point during the season, he’d be entitled to the full amount of his salary, as termination pay.
This shows it’s about more than guaranteed money, at least for 2024. It’s about dollars, too. And the 49ers haven’t offered him enough.
After the Aiyuk deal was done, some suggested that the 49ers had focused on the receiver and would now turn their attention to Williams. Beyond ignoring the fact that the 49ers had been talking to Williams, that message presumes the front office can’t negotiate two deals at the same time.
They can. They have. As to Williams, they haven’t done enough to get him to show up. Without him, 2021 fifth-round Jaylon Moore would step in. He might hold his own, but he’s not Trent Williams. And if the 49ers hope to finally win their sixth Super Bowl exactly 30 years after their last one, they’ll need Williams.
Williams knows it. More importantly, he’s willing to stay away until he gets what he wants.If that means he doesn’t play at all this year, well, he’s already shown that he’s willing and able to do it.