The San Francisco 49ers racked up 13 wins in 2025 but finished third in their own division. They’re looking to improve and catch up to the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in 2026.
They’ll have to do it after settling a reported contract dispute with their star offensive lineman.
San Francisco and left tackle Trent Williams are ‘struggling to find a contractual solution’ for 2026, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams, 37, is entering the final year of his current extension and is carrying a nearly $39 million cap hit for 2026.
Williams is the second-highest paid left tackle in the NFL by average annual value (AAV) behind only the Los Angeles Chargers’ Rashawn Slater, per OverTheCap.
Williams signed a new extension late in the 2024 offseason after the 49ers reached Super Bowl 58 following a holdout. He played in 10 games that season but returned healthy for 2025 and made his 12th career Pro Bowl.
The five-time All-Pro left tackle is entering his age-38 season in 2026.
San Francisco currently has $41.2 million in cap space for 2026 per OverTheCap, 11th-most in the NFL for the upcoming season. His cap number of $38.84 million is the second-highest on the team entering 2026 behind edge rusher Nick Bosa ($41.61 million).