With the 2024 NFL season about to start, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams remains committed to his contract holdout, even if it means missing games.
Speaking Friday on "NFL Live,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained why Williams will not budge on his protracted holdout until he receives a new deal.
“The 49ers have work to do. I’m told Trent Williams is not happy and the threat of him missing games is real,” Fowler said. “A lot of times, that’s a negotiating pull. I don’t sense it is right now. He’s made $150 million in his career. He’s got no guaranteed money left on his deal.”
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The ESPN analyst then explained Williams and the 49ers remain at a standstill in contract negotiations even with the NFL season less than one week away.
“He’s the fourth-highest-paid left tackle right now despite being the best the last few years, and he feels like this could have been addressed a lot earlier and San Francisco sort of balked on it," Fowler said.
"He’s going to make them wait even longer. They have had some talks. Nothing had heated up as of last night and this morning [Thursday night/Friday morning] but the 49ers have a couple days here before they officially start Week 1 on Monday. They are hopeful to make some progress.”
Since coming over from Washington via trade in 2020, Williams has been a critical piece of San Francisco’s offensive line. Having him absent during the beginning of the season would put a lot of pressure on Jaylon Moore and others to pick up the slack. The 36-year-old is regarded as one of the NFL’s best linemen, and he wants his pay to reflect that.
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With so many incredible players on their roster, the 49ers have had difficulties re-signing everyone. After months of negotiations, San Francisco and Brandon Aiyuk recently agreed to terms on a new deal, but there only is so much salary-cap space to go around.
Considering that Williams wants a big pay increase and more guaranteed money, San Francisco faces a tricky situation, with quarterback Brock Purdy due for a substantial pay increase next year.
For now, the sides will continue to work on a deal, but Williams shows no signs of budging on his stance, and it appears this standoff could continue into the NFL regular season. The 49ers will play the New York Jets on Sept. 9 at Levi’s Stadium, with or without Williams.
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