How Trent Williams' Holdout From 49ers Training Camp Impacts Brandon Aiyuk

Trent Williams is deserving of a pay raise from the 49ers, but his desire for a new deal is hurting the one that Brandon Aiyuk is searching for.

Jan 22, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) celebrates after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 19-12 in a NFC divisional round game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There were "whispers" back in June that All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams would eventually want a new contract from the San Francisco 49ers.

Sure enough, those "whispers" that Williams' camp surely put out were true. Williams has been missing in action from 49ers training camp as it relates to his contract. It is unclear what exactly he is looking for between a pay raise or an actual extension.

But it's a big enough deal for him to hold out. As a result, the 49ers placed him on the reserve/did not report list. Williams is justified for a pay raise and to have guarantees reinstalled into his current deal. He's still one of the best, if not the best offensive tackles in the league. I'm sure the 49ers will give into his demands given how crucial he is to their success.

Unfortunately, Williams' holdout from the 49ers is causing some friendly fire on Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers will certainly put most of their attention on Williams over Aiyuk now. He is more essential to the 49ers than Aiyuk is. If Williams misses time, then that means the 49ers are forced to play Jaylon Moore.

If Aiyuk continues to miss time, then they have plenty of alternatives and ways to mitigate his loss with play calling. Clearly the loss of Williams will prove more detrimental than Aiyuk will. Aiyuk was already facing poor odds with a deal getting done with the 49ers, but now it is going to be slimmer with Williams demanding one.

At the very least, this is only going to prolong the hold-in that Aiyuk is conducting. There's no telling how long it will take for the 49ers to get a restructured contract done with Williams. The stalemate could occur if Williams wants added years to his deal, which will be tough to stomach for a guy who is already 36 years old.

Either way, he is more than deserving of a pay raise and for his deal to have guarantees again. But all of that will take some time and keeps Aiyuk in the waiting room again for his deal. The biggest concern is that this could cause a serious rift with the 49ers and Aiyuk as they show their willingness and urgency to get something done with Williams as opposed to Aiyuk if that is the case.

We'll see how this plays out over time.