Two former NFL players are surprised by Brandon Aiyuk signed a new contract with the 49ers before Trent Williams.
Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast, Chad Ochocinco and Shannon Sharpe gave their thoughts on San Francisco’s current situation.
“Trent Williams is one I thought who would have gotten his deal first before Brandon Aiyuk because I think they can miss some games without Aiyuk at receiver and they can find that production somewhere else,” Ochocinco said. “Maybe not as efficient as Aiyuk, but missing the best left tackle in the game Week 1 or Week 2 can hurt you a little bit because there’s a huge drop-off without having big Trent in there now.
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“We’re talking about the best tackle in the game, [who solidifies] the blind side of the quarterback. But I’m happy Aiyuk got his money, he was very deserving of it.”
Sharpe echoed Ochocinco’s sentiments and explained why Williams is so critical to the 49ers' offense.
“I think the thing is with Trent is that you can always slide the protection away from him knowing he can take the best rusher and neutralize it every time,” Sharpe explained. “So, you don’t have to worry about sliding to help Trent, Trent got this.”
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After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Aiyuk signed a new extension for four years and a reported $120 million, but Williams has continued his training camp holdout.
The 36-year-old wants a significant pay increase and reportedly will not return to the team until he has a new contract, even if it goes into the regular season.
San Francisco only has so much salary cap space, and with quarterback Brock Purdy due for a lucrative contract next year, it could be difficult to give Williams the kind of money he wants.
As it stands now, the 49ers will begin reintegrating Aiyuk back into practice in preparation for the start of the NFL regular season.