The 49ers are willing to pay Williams basically $36M guaranteed over the next two years, with about $24M to be paid to him in 2026.
That $24M salary for next season would still put him in the top 10 among offensive linemen, though one could certainly argue that Williams is still a top three tackle in the league. The closer we get to the start of the regular season, the more the 49ers could reasonably conclude that opposing teams will have less appetite to take on a massive salary and thus perhaps the threat of cutting him could result in Williams opting to take what’s on the table.
Then again, it only takes one team to be willing to pay a little bit more, for Williams to make out. The 49ers would also make the case that, at this stage of his career, they offer as good a chance as any team to win a title.