San Francisco 49ers star Trent Williams gives interesting response after inking new contract

San Francisco 49ers star left tackle Trent Williams was a hold out from training camp as the future Hall of Famers seeked a new contract.

Williams, 36, reset the offensive line market back in 2021 by signing a six-year, $138.06 million contract with San Francisco.

Since then, other top offensive tackles have gotten paid big time. Most recently, that included Tristan Wirfs inking a five-year, $140.6 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This led to Williams — an 11-time Pro Bowler — demanding a new contract from San Francisco.

That happened on Tuesday, less whan a week from the 49ers’ regular-season opener against the New York Jets . According to multiple media reports, Williams ended his holdout by inking a restructured contract with San Francisco.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter , the new deal will pay Williams $82.66 million over the next three seasons with $48 million at signing.

This is an absolutely massive deal for the 49ers. They need one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history on the field to protect Brock Purdy’s blindside. After all, the rest of San Francisco’s offensive line represents a major question mark.

However, Williams noted on Tuesday that the contract agreement ended up having a lot more to do with things outside of football and finances.

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San Francisco 49ers’ Trent Williams points to Ricky Pearsall shooting as a primary reason for ending holdout

“To be real, I felt more compelled to come back after [the Ricky Pearsall shooting] more than anything. Because, I’ve never experienced anything like that in my playing career,” Williams told reporters, via KNBR .

A first-round pick of the 49ers back in April, Pearsall was shot in an attempted robbery in San Francisco on Saturday. He suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.

The good news? This former Florida star receiver was released from the hospital on Sunday . The bullet did not hit any organs and was through-and-through.

Even then, it was a sobering situation for Williams and the rest of the 49ers players. That’s for sure.

The defending NFC champs now head into Week 1 with the drama of the offseason behind them. It’s no small thing with San Francisco looking to get over the hump and win its first Super Bowl since 1995.

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