Trent

Williams

Williams and the Niners appeared to be at an impasse earlier this offseason after the team opted not to pick up his $10 million option bonus and reporters noted that the 38-year-old was said to be available in trade. Williams had one year left on his old deal, but with his new contract extension, he will be under contract through 2027. Of the $50 million Williams is set to receive, $34 million will be guaranteed. He allowed just four sacks on 32 pressures last season, per PFF, earning a 79.9 PFF pass-blocking grade.

Lynch made clear he wanted to avoid saying a new deal is “right there” because things can change quickly, but he believes the two sides “are on the precipice of something good happening.” Lynch complimented Williams’ consistent play quality, saying the 37-year-old blocker is one of the great players to ever play the game while acknowledging that Williams’ age is a big factor from the team’s perspective. The 49ers chose not to exercise Williams’ $10 million option bonus earlier this month, which would have allowed them to move money around via future void years. The decision was a positive indicator that they believe a new deal can be agreed upon. Things are seemingly still headed in the right direction. Williams is scheduled to enter free agency in 2027.

Williams is scheduled to enter free agency in 2027, and up until now, none of his 2026 salary was guaranteed. Today’s option deadline guarantees Williams $10 million and brings his salary cap number to nearly $47 million. Had the 49ers exercised the option, it would have allowed them to spread the $10 million out over future years. The 49ers still want to reduce his cap hit and Williams reportedly wants more guaranteed money. It is unclear if the 37-year-old left tackle also wants an extension beyond this season. Despite the increased cap hit, Schefter reports that the 49ers are “not overly concerned” about today’s increased cap hit and are planning to rework his contract before the 2026 NFL Draft.

It raised some eyebrows when the 49ers agreed to terms with Lowe on Monday while Williams was reportedly available in trade talks. While it may yet wind up unfolding that way, The Athletic’s 49ers beats note that the 49ers have until March 20 to rework the deal — that’s when a $10 million option bonus is due. Lowe’s two-year, $12 million contract is a reasonable swing tackle deal if it comes to that.

“A resolution has not been easy and Williams is frustrated with the process. He’s due $32M in salary with a $38M+ cap number,” writes Rapoport. The 49ers are actually in fine cap shape at the moment and will clear a little more with a Brandon Aiyuk release. So they could absolutely carry Williams as is. But if they do receive an offer they can’t refuse, trading Williams would free up about $5 million in cap space for them. Entering his age-38 season, Williams remains one of the best tackles in the NFL.

It’s certainly a vibes shift from Adam Schefter’s report that the two sides were struggling to find a contractual solution. Williams’ contract is indeed very tricky, tricky enough that moving on from it doesn’t really free up significant space for the 49ers. We’d be surprised if the 49ers moved on from Williams despite Schefter’s report, but it certainly isn’t completely off the table.

Williams is entering the final year of a three-year, $82.66 million contract with the 49ers and is carrying a $38.8 million cap figure for this season. Releasing him would only save about $5 million in cap space unless it was done with a post-June 1 designation. The 49ers also already have plenty of cap space, so it feels more like a separation for the sake of getting out of the Williams business as he enters his age-38 season. Williams played as well as ever last year — he had a 91.1 PFF grade despite a slow start in Seattle while injured at the start of the season. He has definitely seemed more injury-prone of late. Several teams should probably be interested in Williams’ services if he hits the free-agent market.

Getting Williams back for this game is a huge win for Brock Purdy and the San Francisco offense. He was listed as questionable on Friday after a light week of practice. Ricky Pearsall, on the other hand, is out for the Wild Card Round.

He got in a limited session on Thursday and was seen practicing again today. We’d be surprised if Williams didn’t go on Sunday. He said he feels “confident” he that will play, though it likely wouldn’t be at 100 percent. Austen Pleasants is the reserve tackle that’d be called on if Williams faced an in-game reaggravation of his injury.

Outstanding. Williams may only participate in a limited capacity today, but his return is promising. Williams is no stranger to playing through injury, though this is his first career hamstring strain. His 49ers squad faces the Eagles on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully, he upgrades to full participation tomorrow and remains setback-free.