49ers make huge $47 million contract decision with Trent Williams amid shaky future

(Eric Hartline, USA Today) 49ers make huge $47 million contract decision with Trent Williams amid shaky future originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The San Francisco 49ers have some work to do this offseason, even after signing Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, Vederian Lowe, and trading for Osa Odighizuwa from the Dallas Cowboys .

One of the biggest questions for the 49ers to resolve this offseason is what to do with Trent Williams. His future in San Francisco is uncertain, and he could wind up on a new team this offseason if contract negotiations don't go well. And according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the first domino with Williams just happened, with the 49ers opting not to use a $10 million contract option bonus on Williams, making his 2026 cap hit jump up to $47 million.

49ers make $47M Trent Williams decision amid shaky future "With today's 4 pm ET deadline looming, the 49ers are opting not to exercise. the $10 million option bonus in Trent Williams' contract, per sources," Schefter reports. "Williams' salary cap number will now grow to $47 million, but the team is not overly concerned about it, and it still is planning to rework his contract before next month's NFL Draft.

" This decision from the 49ers is a big one. While this doesn't explicitly mean that Williams is staying or going, it's a major first step in the very unstable situation with Williams. The future Hall of Famer might not be with the 49ers in 2026, as this contract dispute could lead to a split this offseason between the 49ers and Williams.