Trent Williams agreed to a record-setting, six-year, $138.06 million contract with the 49ers last week. That automatically puts pressure on the eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle.
“Man, $23 million a year in very tight cap times is a lot for any player, even a top left tackle like Trent Williams,” NBC Sports' Peter King wrote in his latest Football Morning in America column. “SAN FRANCISCO had better get greatness out of Williams, PFF’s seventh-rated tackle in 2020, for the next five or six years.”
Yeah, King put San Francisco in all caps, but Williams deserves the contract, and the 49ers deserve Williams.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Williams was the highest-graded left tackle in 2020 by Pro Football Focus with a 91.9 grade after yet another strong season. So despite the rate, those numbers don’t lie.
The 49ers certainly saw his value and wanted to make sure another tackle didn’t hit the open market. He was willing to see what he was worth in free agency, but San Francisco wanted to make sure that didn’t happen and locked him up at the first opportunity.
Williams also replaced the beloved Joe Staley after he retired in April of last year.
RELATED: How Williams' market value increased before NFL free agency
San Francisco 49ers
Williams was acquired by the 49ers in April of 2020 via trade from the Washington Football Team in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round draft pick and a 2021 third-round pick.
He wanted a change of scenery and it appeared to work out in his favor … and then some. He’s aware he now has to produce. Especially with as much money was given to him.