The San Francisco 49ers are exactly two weeks away from kicking off their regular-season campaign against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, and the two issues that have clouded their preparations remain unresolved.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk still isn't signed to a long-term extension , with a trade remaining a possibility, while All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams' holdout is continuing with no end in sight as the 11-time Pro Bowler seeks a reworked contract including guaranteed money.
While Aiyuk's importance to quarterback Brock Purdy is not in doubt, most would agree that Williams is more crucial to the success of the overall operation of the offense.
As such, there is no realistic possibility of the 49ers trading away the best tackle in football, but they do appear to be lurching towards a scenario in which they do not have Williams against the vaunted Jets defense.
Speaking on SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the Williams situation that puts his participation against the Jets into some doubt.
Fowler said of Williams:
"I was told from somebody involved in the situation that he is not going to be available until he gets his contract adjusted. He's got three years left on his deal. That could bleed into the regular season with us just being a few weeks away. This is a player who's made about $150 million in his career. He's been taking up golf, kind of stayed away from the team, doing his own thing. Still training, of course, getting ready for the season, potentially, but he's not overly stressed to have to be out there right now. And he's the fourth highest-paid left tackle despite being the best the last few years."
The 49ers, for their part, are pushing to get a resolution while simultaneously trying to finally find a breakthrough with Aiyuk, with Fowler adding: "They could sweeten the guarantees on his contract. They're dealing with Brandon Aiyuk. At the same time, they're trying to get this guy done, so they're hoping he'll be in the lineup here soon."
Fowlers' comments in that sense echo the recent words of head coach Kyle Shanahan, who told KNBR last week: "I've had some contact with him [Williams]. Been good talking to him. We're negotiating hard. Hopefully it's getting close."
The report from Fowler that Williams is willing to extend his holdout into the regular season would indicate an agreement is not close. With the ongoing impasse, the 49ers are left in a difficult spot as they trim their roster down to 53 players and face the prospect of going against the Jets without the cornerstone of an otherwise largely unconvincing offensive line.
The 49ers will never outwardly project anything but calm, but the reality is that, with the Williams negotiations, things are reaching a crisis point.
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