49ers Could Have Trouble Extending Brandon Aiyuk Due to Trent Williams Dilemma
The San Francisco 49ers are not only dealing with the Brandon Aiyuk saga, but All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams also plans to continue his holdout unless his contract is reworked, placing Week 1 availability for the 49ers into focus, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“I was told from somebody involved in the situation that he is not going to be available until he gets his contract adjusted,” Fowler said on Sportscenter. “He’s got three years left on his deal. That could bleed into the regular season with us just being a few weeks away.
“This is a player who has made about $150 million in his career, he has been taking up golf, staying away from the team, doing his own thing. Still training of course, getting ready for the season potentially, but he’s not overly stressed to have to be out there right now. And he’s the fourth-highest-paid tackle despite being the best the past two years.”
Williams, 36, is a 11-time Pro Bowler and has been named first-team All-Pro in the last three seasons. Under his current contract, Williams is scheduled to make $20.8 million in 2024, $23.25 million in 2025, and $32.96 million in 2026. Williams is seeking guaranteed money in those salaries, however.
The 49ers are in a win-now mode, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the Williams and Aiyuk situations. It seems like Williams is perfectly fine with missing games. The 49ers hope to keep both, but it might not be feasible with their salary cap situation.
“The 49ers know they have to do something here,” Fowler said. “They could sweeten the guarantees on his contract. But they’re dealing with Brandon Aiyuk at the same time they’re trying to get this guy done. So they’re hoping he’ll be in the lineup here, soon.”
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported last week that Aiyuk and the 49ers haven’t budged in negotiations and Aiyuk seems dug in, the Steelers are waiting and still in play.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, speaking on KNBR, attempted to update the Aiyuk situation, but nothing has changed.
“Oh, so much has changed. No, I’m just joking. No, no new updates. I’m sorry to keep being boring with that, but I wish I was saying something different, but nothing’s changed yet,” Shanahan said.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported in his MMQB column on Monday that the Steelers’ contract offer to Aiyuk is less than $28 million per year, which is in the same ballpark as what San Fran is offering. The Steelers offer forced Aiyuk to go back to the table with the 49ers.
“The Brandon Aiyuk situation drags on, and I don’t have a whole lot to add on it,” Breer wrote. “The San Francisco 49ers’ star didn’t want to go to New England, which offered him more than $30 million per year in its proposals, or the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers’ price point was less than $28 million, which put Pittsburgh right in the neighborhood the Niners were inhabiting—with Mike Tomlin’s presence there the drawing card. That, in turn, pushed Aiyuk back to the table with the Niners.”
The Steelers have believed for some time — at least since Steelers Now reported on Aug. 7 — that the Steelers have the framework of a deal in place with San Francisco to land Brandon Aiyuk. It appears that offer isn’t lucrative enough for Aiyuk.
Aiyuk’s contract doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but he effectively holds veto power by refusing to sign a new contract with any team the 49ers might reach a deal with.
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