San Francisco 49ers avoid a split with star left tackle Trent Williams, locking him up before the draft on a reworked deal.
Just days before Thursday’s NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers and Trent Williams found a deal that worked for all, one that will allow one of the best left tackles in football to finish out his career in San Francisco. The Niners and Williams agreed to a two-year, $50 million deal on Monday that will keep him with the team through 2027. It will have $37 million fully guaranteed and will come with a $22 million signing bonus. The deal is historic, as Williams becomes the first non-quarterback in league history to surpass $400 million career earnings and $225 million in guarantees.
The deal comes exactly one month after San Francisco declined a $10 million option bonus, the due date of which was March 20, and the two sides struggled to find harmony at the beginning of extension talks. However, 49ers general manager John Lynch was steadfast in believing that something would get done between the two sides, and things never took a bad turn during talks. Prior to the extension, Williams was set to play a 2026 campaign with no guaranteed money remaining on his deal. The $34.15 million dead money cap hit that a trade or release would have incurred – with minimal savings – made a move unlikely, as did the fact that there was no proven replacement in San Francisco.
Here is the full story from 49ers Roundtable writer Joey Hickey on the major deal and how it reshapes their upcoming draft strategy.
With Williams set to turn 38 in July, and him reportedly saying that he envisions playing until 40, it seems like he’ll be able to finish his career in the Bay Area while continuing to build his Hall of Fame case. He has 12 career Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro teams – he’s just missing his first Lombardi trophy he’s still chasing in San Francisco.