SF 49ers: 5 players who are in line for massive paydays in 2021
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: SF 49ers Offensive Tackle Trent Williams
2020 Contract Value: $13,000,000
Another perennial Pro Bowler, including for this season, is a player the SF 49ers can’t franchise tag in 2021, left tackle Trent Williams.
Williams can make up to $13 million this season as long as he’s on the gameday roster for Weeks 16 and 17, and one has to figure the lack of other on-roster options is going to coerce the Niners into strongly considering his retention next season.
Recent contract extensions for both the Green Bay Packers’ David Bakhtiari (average per-year value of $23 million), the Houston Texans’ Laremy Tunsil (APY of $22 million) and the Baltimore Ravens’ Ronnie Stanley (APY of $19.75 million) don’t make the market for prime offensive tackles any cheaper. Perhaps the only solace is all those players are still in their 20s, while Williams will turn 33 years old before the start of next season.
That said, Spotrac.com’s market-value tool still projects Williams’ next deal to be in the range of three years at $54.8 million, an average annual value of $18.26 million.
That’s a lot.
Considering Williams has easily been San Francisco’s best offensive lineman when contrasted against this unit’s problems elsewhere, the SF 49ers may have no other choice but to give the eight-time Pro Bowler the contract he wants.
Even if it means freeing up cap space by moving other players off the roster this offseason.