Why Trent Williams' Holdout From the 49ers has Been Silent

Everyday there is some sort of update between Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers, but there has been nothing at all with Trent Williams since he began his holdout.

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The daily topic of discussion surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is their situation with Brandon Aiyuk.

Will they finally extend him? Or will they trade him? Those seem to be the only two options at this point even though the 49ers don't have to do either. In any case, that is what is being constantly discussed since training camp began.

What isn't being discussed is the holdout that Trent Williams is conducting. In comparison to Aiyuk, the situation with Williams has been dead silent. There has been nothing to update nor reported on it by anyone reputable. It's pretty strange to see, but that is most likely because the 49ers are expected to give Williams what he wants.

I think the reason that Williams' holdout from the 49ers has been silent is because he doesn't want to participate in training camp. Williams probably already has a contract set in front of him from the 49ers that he likes and doesn't want to lock it in until most of camp is finished.

Williams is a 36 year old player with 14 years of experience in the NFL. He is at the stage where training camp and OTAs are not a part of his schedule. It isn't anything new with veteran players, especially elite ones. I can't say I blame him for wanting to workout on his own at home instead of participating in camp, which will be more intense. It probably feels like work to him now.

Of course, there is always the possibility that Williams and the 49ers are at a stalemate in negotiations. Williams could be possibly looking to add more years to his current deal along with installing guarantees and a pay raise. Adding years is something the 49ers shouldn't do given he'll be 38 years old at the end of this current one.

Another possibility is that the 49ers are so entrenched in trying to get everything resolved with Aiyuk that they aren't looking at Williams yet. Regardless, Williams' holdout isn't a concern because it seems unanimous that giving into his demands will occur from the 49ers. It's just a matter of "when" and not "if" it'll happen.