The San Francisco 49ers cannot afford to lose Canton-bound left tackle Trent Williams.

The only problem is that they cannot afford to pay him, either.

San Francisco is dealing with the consequences of an aging roster and an unfulfilled competitive window. With stars demanding raises and a Super Bowl in sight, the 49ers have kicked the cap can down the road long enough. It has come back to bite them, and as Williams inches closer to free agency, San Francisco may have to look to the NFL Draft for his replacement.

Could the 49ers lose Trent Williams?

On Tuesday, Adam Schefter reported that releasing Williams is on the table.

“With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers currently are struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources,” he posted. “If the two sides can’t bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year’s free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.”

Of course, that’s not a guarantee of Williams’ departure. But Williams is perhaps the most valuable offensive lineman in the sport, appearing bulletproof into his late-30s. He’s a stalwart in the game’s preeminent rushing attack. And as a crux of Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, there’s reason to believe the 49ers view the position at a premium.

The first and most obvious pivot from Williams is an early-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. In a tackle class that has fallen short of expectations, a handful of candidates have fallen toward the back of Round 1. 

Among them is Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor. At 360 pounds, there are questions about how consistently his athleticism will play at the next level, but high-level play against SEC defensive lines has kept his stock high. Elsewhere, Caleb Lomu held down the blindside for Utah’s elite offensive line, offering a more natural fit into Shanahan’s zone scheme (at least physically). He’s a work in progress as a run blocker, but a first-round pass protector with traits that inspire upside.

Late in Round 1, San Francisco is also in range to capture upward momentum on a prospect like Monroe Freeling, who is bound to rise when athletic testing becomes the most recent source of information. 

MORE: 49ers get bad news on Trent Williams amid looming $39 million decision

Taking a first-round tackle could reverberate throughout the NFL’s toughest division. The Los Angeles Rams are unsteady at offensive tackle. Right tackle Rob Havenstein has retired, and Warren McClendon Jr. isn’t necessarily the long-term answer in his place. The positional difference could render this moot, but the 49ers pick before Los Angeles’ second pick in the first round.

There’s a world in which the Rams lose out on their preferred tackle prospect because the 49ers feel they can turn Blake Miller — or a similarly-valued prospect — into their franchise left tackle.

Furthermore, it may become clear that replacing Williams isn’t a one-man job, but a structural one. San Francisco isn’t drafting an upgrade at left tackle in Round 1. Baking in that regression could mean a greater emphasis on other positions, like drafting a receiver for Brandon Aiyuk’s vacant snaps or a defensive X-factor to compensate for a step back offensively.

Ultimately, teams do an excellent job of keeping their best players in-house for as long as possible. There’s little reason why Williams should retire in another team’s jersey, and he’s enough of a difference-maker to gamble on, even at 37 years old. Losing Williams would be the biggest transaction of San Francisco’s offseason, leaving awfully big shoes to fill for whoever the 49ers take at No. 27.

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