Williams has no guaranteed money left on his deal but still has three years remaining on the six-year, $138.06 million contract he signed in 2021. It was the largest contract ever given to an offensive lineman at the time. Currently, Williams is the sixth-highest-paid offensive lineman, averaging $23.01 million annually, while Tristan Wirfs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leads the group at $28.12 million per year.
ESPN's Adam Schefter, appearing on the "Pat McAfee Show," explained why the Williams situation might be more complicated than most think.
"You know, the tricky part about this one is you're talking about a guy that's as dominant as any offensive tackle in all football," Schefter said. "He's been great. He's been unbelievable. He's so good. Future Hall of Famer. He's also 36 years old and he's got, I believe, [three] years left on his contract.
"And so these offensive linemen, their value is huge, immense work, and the Niners know it. But they're also in a situation where, again, I think that they've gone and paid Williams a couple of different times, and he's 36.
"So you have to balance how do you do that? How do you figure out a way to keep him happy and keep your salary cap situation intact at a time when you know the Brock Purdy extension is coming down the pike after the season? You got Brandon Aiyuk, who wants his money. You're paying these other guys. So it's a challenging situation that they have not yet figured [out]."
Schefter added that Williams' absence from training camp isn't a big problem. He's a veteran and remains one of the best in the game. Resting the 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro isn't the worst scenario in the world.
"The fact that he's missing camp right now, that may be a bonus, not a drawback," Schefter commented.
The 49ers did sign two of their other offensive stars, running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, to contract extensions, lowering each's salary cap hit for 2024.
Williams is scheduled to earn $20.05 million this year and counts just $10.8 million against the salary cap. That cap hit increases to $34.1 million in 2025 and $37.8 million in 2026.