Trent Williams is Holding out of 49ers Training Camp

Trent Williams was not in attendance at 49ers training camp as he searches for a potential new contract.

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Aiyuk isn't the only player the San Francisco 49ers have to work on a contract with.

Star left tackle Trent Williams was not in attendance for training camp on Wednesday. Kyle Shanahan confirmed that it was contractually related at his press conference.

"I knew it could be a possibility," said Shanahan. "I feel pretty confident it will all work out in the long run and he’ll be here & we’ll get on the same page with everything.”

When new deals were handed to Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings, it was reported that Williams would "eventually" want a new deal. Clearly Williams was putting it out there to give the 49ers a heads up that he wants to be next.

Williams is arguably the best player on the 49ers, so of course he is going to want a pay raise when he sees his teammates getting one. There is also the factor of him no longer being the top paid offensive tackle either. Williams is going to be paid $20.8 million this season while the likes of Penei Sewell is getting paid $28 million.

It's unclear if Williams would like an extension or if he just wants a raise. If it is an extension, then the 49ers cannot meet his demand. He's already 36 years old, and while he is still regarded as one of the best tackles in the league, he can easily see a drop off in any of the upcoming seasons. That is the nature of aging for these players.

What the 49ers can and should easily do is give him a raise. Alter the contract he is currently on so that he is paid what he is worth because he is pivotal to the offensive success for the 49ers. Plus, they don't have any real backup option, so they have to cave.

We'll see how long this lasts as the 49ers have to juggle him and Aiyuk.