Brandon Aiyuk isn't the only San Francisco 49ers standout unhappy with his contract. On the same day the wide receiver watched practice from the sidelines, left tackle Trent Williams skipped the team's start of training camp with his own contract concerns, coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday.
"I knew it could be a possibility," Shanahan said of Williams' absence. "I feel pretty confident it will all work out in the long run and he'll be here and we'll get on the same page with everything."
On Thursday, Williams' holdout became official with the veteran officially being placed on the reserve/did not report list, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Williams will now be subject to a $50,000 fine for each day of camp that he misses as he seeks an adjusted contract.
Williams, 36, is technically under contract through the 2026 season as part of a six-year, $136 million extension he signed with the 49ers in 2021. Several offensive tackles have eclipsed him in terms of average annual earnings since that deal, including the Minnesota Vikings' Christian Darrisaw (reported $113 million, four-year extension), Detroit Lions' Penei Sewell ($28 million) and Houston Texans' Laremy Tunsil ($25 million per year). Still, no lineman is set to earn more than Williams in 2024 alone, as the 11-time Pro Bowler is due close to $31.6 million this year, per Over the Cap.
Williams is also due in excess of $30 million in both 2025 and 2026, keeping him among the game's highest-paid blockers. It's possible the veteran is simply seeking additional guarantees in his deal, as the 49ers can easily exit his contract in each of the years remaining on his extension, especially as a post-June 1 release.
When healthy, Williams is widely considered one of the best linemen in the NFL. The four-time All-Pro has helped propel the 49ers to four of the last five NFC championships. He was originally acquired via trade from Washington ahead of the 2020 season.