Should the 49ers Extend Trent Williams' Contract?
The 49ers are desperate.
They want to keep their core together for one more year so they can make another run at the Super Bowl. And so they've been handing out contract extensions all offseason. First, they gave one to Colton McKivitz, then they gave one to Jauan Jennings and recently they gave one to Christian McCaffrey. Brandon Aiyuk may get one soon as well. And next year, Brock Purdy presumably will receive the biggest contract extension in franchise history.
Should the 49ers extend Trent Williams' contract, too?
Williams reportedly wants a new deal with the 49ers even though he'll turn 36 in July and he's signed through 2026. And he has leverage to ask for a new deal because he's the 49ers' most valuable player. They're 3-6 in the games he hasn't played since he joined the team. They have no one who can replace him. He makes their running game and their passing game function.
The fact that Williams wants an extension probably means he wants to play until he's 40, which is good news for the 49ers. But his body may not allow him to play that long.
Williams usually misses at least two games every year. He hasn't played a full season since 2013. And he's the oldest player on the team. What if he starts missing four to eight games per season? That's not out of the realm of possibilities.
Williams' contract currently has no guaranteed money left on it, which means the 49ers can cut him whenever they want if they feel he's beginning to fall apart with age. This seems like a prudent contract structure for an older player with an injury history.
The 49ers absolutely should not extend Williams' contract. It's perfectly fine the way it is.