49ers Decline Williams' $10M Option Bonus

The San Francisco 49ers declined to exercise a $10 million option bonus in the contract of star left tackle Trent Williams, a decision that increases his salary cap hit to nearly $47 million for the 2026 season and sets the stage for ongoing negotiations to rework his deal.

The move came ahead of the league's deadline on Friday afternoon, leaving Williams with no guaranteed money remaining on the final year of his current agreement. His base salary is set at $22.21 million, but the team views the higher cap figure as manageable in the short term. Reports indicate the 49ers remain committed to retaining the 37-year-old Williams, a 12-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, and plan to finalize a revised contract before the NFL Draft later this month.

Williams has been a cornerstone of the 49ers' offensive line since arriving via trade from Washington in April 2020, in exchange for third- and fifth-round picks. Eleven months later, he signed a six-year, $138 million extension that made him the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman at the time. The team reworked the deal in September 2024 into a three-year, $82.66 million pact with $48 million in guarantees, a record for...