One Last Crucial Move 49ers Need to Execute in Free Agency

The 49ers have made some solid moves in free agency, but they all pale in comparison to this one they still need to execute.

Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Not a ton of moves have been made by the San Francisco 49ers in free agency, but they've all been neccessary.

Signing Mike Evans was huge, as it addressed a top position of need. Trading for Osa Odighizuwa was great to boost their lacking defensive front.

Bringing back Dre Greenlaw is a smooth move to potentially reignite the defense's physicality. All of these moves have been solid. If the 49ers were to end it there, they're perfectly fine.

However, there is still one last move the 49ers must get done in free agency. It's a crucial move they need to execute so it doesn't derail all of the positive gains they've made up to this point.

The crucial move to executie is...

Resolving the contract dispute with Trent Williams. As great as adding Evans, Odighizuwa, and Greenlaw were, the excitement of those additions can dissipate if Williams' drama continues.

The 49ers need to get this done. It seemed like it would've been over by now. At least, that is how John Lynch put it at the NFL scouting combine a few weeks ago.

"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," Lynch said.

"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.”

Lynch citing Williams' age lets you know that the 49ers are concerned with shelling out more money to him. There's a chance his performance declines as well as his body.

His body is already on the brink, despite only missing one game. Normally, he will miss multiple games. That's just the reality of a player in their late 30s.

The 49ers rightfully have concerns about continuing to invest in him. His health, and especially performance, can fall off a cliff at any moment. But they have no choice. They don't have an adequate replacement for him on the roster.

There certainly isn't any in free agency, and expecting a rookie to do that would be insane should they draft an offensive tackle. Williams holds all the cards here.

It's why he's demanding the 49ers guarantee his money, and is likely asking for a pay raise. He knows the 49ers will be in peril without him. It's the reality they face.

The 49ers know that too, so they might as well wear it on the chin and stop wasting time with this song and dance when the results are inevitable.

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