The San Francisco 49ers are in the difficult position of trying to end two contract stand-offs involving players critical to their offense at the same time.
There are some noises that a resolution to the long saga involving All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk could be close to a resolution, with Colin Cowherd, host of FS1's 'The Herd' indicating that a deal may be on the horizon in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.
However, there have been no such noises around Trent Williams' holdout from training camp, the All-Pro left tackle refusing to report as he seeks guaranteed money on his deal. There is no guaranteed money on the final three years of the contract he signed with the 49ers in 2021.
Williams remains the consensus best tackle in football after his third consecutive first-team All-Pro season. However, in addition to being dissatisfied with his lack of guaranteed money, Williams can now make a stronger case that his average annual salary is not reflective of his status in the game after another elite offensive tackle signed a lucrative extension.
It was revealed on Thursday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs had signed a five-year, $140 million extension, which will pay him an average of $28.1 million. The final three years of Williams' deal will, as it stands, see him paid $23 million annually.
Wirfs is obviously much younger than Williams. The 2020 first-round pick is still only 25, while Williams is 36. Despite his stated belief that he can play into his 40s, conventional wisdom says Williams is in the twilight of his career. On top of that, Wirfs has proven in recent years that he can play both right and left tackle for the Buccaneers.
Still, given Williams' status as the gold standard and the incredible importance he has to San Francisco's league-leading offense, a discrepancy of over $5 million between Williams and Wirfs does not seem justified.
As such, the latest big development in the tackle market will likely Williams more steadfast in sticking to his contract demands.
It has been a tricky offseason for the 49ers with the number of contract issues they have had to resolve. Williams holdout, followed by the Wirfs extension, have served to make training camp even more difficult.
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