The San Francisco 49ers remain confident that Trent Williams’ contract situation will be resolved amicably, even if it remains pending.
While coaching this weekend at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, Kyle Shanahan was asked by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan about Williams’ contract negotiations.
“No updates from me,” Shanahan said. “I’m actually pretty much out of it. I know John.” [Lynch] and everyone works hard for it. I believe we will achieve it. We love Trent too much and in the end it will work out.”
The All-Pro left tackle is set to make $32 million in base salary after the Niners opted out of his $10 million option bonus, making Williams’ salary cap hit of $46.341 million in the final year of his contract.
Shanahan’s comments echo those of GM John Lynch at the NFL Scouting Combine, where the club is confident it can find common ground with the star left tackle. However, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported during the opening days of free agency that the Niners are open to trading Williams if a deal cannot be completed.
At 38 years old, Williams has indicated that he intends to continue his career. It’s common knowledge that he wants a new deal that includes insurance through 2026. That’s a tough negotiation for a club, given the left tackle’s age and the fact that injuries become more common at that age. How far into the future are the Niners willing to guarantee a player who could retire at any time?
At this point, even at his age, Williams has leverage. Given his skill level, even entering the twilight of his career, there are plenty of teams who would pay well on the open market to secure a left tackle spot, if only for a year or two. Then there’s the fact that the Niners don’t have an obvious replacement — certainly not one as good as the 12-time Pro Bowler.
Shanahan’s confidence is understandable given the 49ers standing in the league, their roster and Williams’ knowledge of the organization. However, Williams’ track record — sitting out the entire 2019 season in Washington — suggests his resolve won’t wither. And so, we wait.