Williams signed a six-year, $138.1M deal to stay in San Francisco during the 2021 free-agency period, maximizing his leverage by hitting the market.
The contract has slid to fourth among tackles, and the Vikings’ Tuesday deal with Christian Darrisaw — when the details emerge — may drop the All-Pro 49ers tackle to fifth at his position.
Williams provides tremendous value for the 49ers, having almost definitely secured a Hall of Fame route during his time in the Bay Area. He will attempt to exert more leverage to secure some better terms.
This is, however, a rather interesting holdout due to Williams’ age. He turned 36 last week and has been linked to retirement. The former Washington draftee said late last season he would play at least one more year, but he is not a candidate for a massive extension — especially with three years left on his current deal. The Oklahoma product did say a bit earlier last year he wanted to play until age 40, however. That longevity aim may well have come up during offseason talks.
Williams may be seeking a straight raise, as the 49ers giving him another extension that runs beyond 2026 may not be especially relevant here. The four-time All-Pro is due $20.1M in base salary this season. While that money is not guaranteed, Williams is in no danger of being released or traded before Week 1. As a vested veteran, his salary will lock in just before the start of the season.
Reemerging after a dispute with Washington led to a full-season absence in 2019, Williams established a new career peak in San Francisco. He has been the first-team left tackle on the past three All-Pro squads; that came after his Washington tenure did not include any first-team All-Pro nods.
The 49ers lost both the games Williams missed last season, with he and Deebo Samuel‘s absences serving as central reasons for the eventual NFC champions’ midseason swoon.
A panel of anonymous NFL evaluators ranked Williams as the NFL’s top tackle recently, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, and Pro Football Focus slotted Williams as the game’s best left tackle last season.
PFF ranked Williams first among all tackles in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Williams’ leverage also comes from the 49ers featuring an O-line with no one else remotely near his talent level, with the team keeping costs low around its LT anchor.
The Chiefs pursued Williams in free agency three years ago, helping to drive up the 49ers’ price. Still, Williams signing a six-year contract — one that drove the AAV to a then-OL-record $23.01M — gave the team considerable control here.
Three- and four-year deals have become the NFL norm for non-quarterbacks, allowing opportunities to cash in not long after. As one of the top wage earners in NFL history ($171M — eighth all-time), Williams did well to secure a homestretch contract. But his performance has exceeded expectations since.
The Raiders rewarded Maxx Crosby by moving money from future years to 2024; the 49ers would stand to have that option with Williams. He will incur fines north of $40K per day by skipping camp. Of course, Williams’ past earnings would give him some solid ground on which to stand — depending on how far he plans to go to prove his point.