With free agency just a few weeks away, there seems to be some tension between Trent Williams and the San Francisco 49ers.
Williams, a future Hall of Famer, earned Pro Bowl honors for the 12th time in his career this past NFL season. While several players were sidelined with injuries, he managed to battle through the pain and appear in 16 regular-season games. Despite being an anchor on the offensive line for the 49ers, there’s no guarantee he’ll be on their Week 1 roster.
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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers might consider parting ways with Williams this offseason.
“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,” Schefter said. “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.”
Cutting Williams with a post-June 1 designation would free up $25 million in cap space for the 49ers. However, their preference would be to keep him on the 53-man roster.
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C Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams (71) warms up before the game against Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images© Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
(© Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)Can the 49ers work things out?
While at the NFL Scouting Combine this Tuesday, 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to reporters about Williams’ contract situation.
“What I’ll tell you is that in recent weeks I’ve met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor, and had really good, productive and substantive meetings,” Lynch said, via ESPN. “And so, here’s what I know. Trent loves being a Niner. We love having Trent as a Niner and it’s up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle. There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he’s been. He’s going to be 38 years old and so there’s some things that go into that, but I think we’re all on the same page and feel very positive about where that’s going.”
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Lynch sounds fairly optimistic that Williams will remain with the 49ers. Only time will tell if he’s right.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.