Report: 49ers decline option bonus for LT Trent Williams

Field Level Media|published: Fri 20th March, 17:12 2026

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) walks off the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers are not exercising a $10 million option bonus for left tackle Trent Williams, ESPN reported on Friday.

Passing on the bonus leaves no guaranteed money for Williams entering the final year of his current contract. It also pushes the 12-time Pro Bowler's salary cap number to nearly $47 million for 2026.

The 49ers are still hoping to rework the 37-year-old veteran's contract ahead of next month's draft, per the report.

Before Friday's decision, Williams' cap number was $38.84 million, including a base salary of $22.21 million.

"Here's what I know," general manager John Lynch said at last month's scouting combine. "Trent loves being a Niner. We love having Trent as a Niner, and it's up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle. There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he's been. He's going to be 38 years old and so there's some things that go into that. But I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where that's going."

Drafted No. 4 overall by Washington in 2010, Williams is a three-time first-team All-Pro who has played in 204 games (203 starts) with Washington (2010-18) and San Francisco. He started 16 games last season, his most since the 2013 campaign.

--Field Level Media

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