San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team is “on the same page” with star left tackle Trent Williams and is optimistic Williams will remain with the team next season.
ESPN reported on Tuesday that the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract, which would lower Williams’ projected salary cap hit of $38.8 million next season. ESPN reported that the 49ers may waive Williams if a deal is not reached.
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Lynch told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine late Tuesday that he has met with Williams and his agent, Vincent Taylor, in recent weeks, which Lynch called “very productive and substantive meetings.” Whether this will lead to Williams deciding to stay with the 49ers remains to be seen.
“That’s what I know. Trent loves being a nine-man player. We love having Trent be a nine-man player. It’s up to us to figure it out and figure it out,” Lynch said. “There are some unique circumstances and we all know what kind of player Trent is and what a great player he is. He’s about to turn 38 and there are some things that will affect that. We’re all on the same page and feel very positive about where things are going.”
This isn’t the first time the 49ers and Williams have been involved in a contract dispute over his absence from all training camp until the 2024 season before agreeing to an $82.7 million, three-year contract that is entering its final season. If Williams is on the roster on April 1, he will receive a $10 million option bonus and have a non-guaranteed salary of $22.2 million this season.
Williams said at the end of the season that he believed he had “a few years” left in his career and had no plans to leave the 49ers.
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With bonuses already paid, Williams’ 2026 salary cap hit is the fifth-highest among non-quarterbacks next season. San Francisco would incur a $34.2 million fixed cap charge if it decided to waive Williams, but could spread the cost over two years if he was designated for release after June 1.
Williams is entering his 12th Pro Bowl season, the most of any offensive tackle, and is two points shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews for the offensive lineman record.
Williams was a three-time All-Pro selection from 2021-23 but was hampered by injuries in 2024. He was healthy for much of last season, playing in 16 games for the first time since 2013.
Williams allowed 40 pressures last season, the most since his rookie season in Washington in 2010, but he remains one of the game’s top left tackles in both run and pass blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.
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The 49ers have not selected a tackle on Day 1 or 2 of the draft since acquiring Williams from Washington during the 2020 draft, leaving the team with no apparent succession plan after Williams’ tenure in San Francisco ends.
NOTES: Lynch also said the team re-signed 40-year-old long snapper Jon Weeks to a one-year contract. K. Eddie Pinero and P. Thomas Morstead will become free agents if they do not sign new contracts before the start of the season. …Lynch said the 49ers will plan to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk early in the league after his guaranteed money expires in 2026.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL