The San Francisco 49ers are reportedly at a contract impasse with yet another star offensive player.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, offensive tackle Trent Williams and the team are "struggling" to find a mutually agreeable path forward as the 37-year-old enters the final year of his contract. General manager John Lynch attempted to ease any worries of an agreement not being reached when speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
"What I'll tell you is that in recent weeks I've met with both Trent and with his agent, Vincent Taylor, and had really good, productive and substantive meetings," Lynch said. "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 ... but I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where [negotiations are] going."
Williams is owed $10 million on April 1 but comes with a $38.841 million salary cap hit if he plays under his current contract this season. Naturally, San Francisco wants to find a way to lessen that financial impact without losing a key pass protector.
However, Williams' age and injury history could make the Niners reticent to pay him the top-of-the-market deal he no doubt would like. And if the two sides cannot come to an agreement, a trade or straight release may be the only option. There are half a dozen teams that would be salivating at the opportunity to bring in the 12-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro selection.
These 6 teams need QB protection, and Trent Williams fits the bill
Chicago Bears
QB Caleb Williams proved all his 2024 doubters wrong in 2025, but in order to follow up his impressive sophomore performance he needs to stay healthy and upright. That means limiting his contact with opposing pass rushers will be crucial, and while rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo was excellent in his first year, a torn patella tendon puts his 2026 status in doubt. Without an elite blind-side blocker, Williams wouldn't be exposed to wave after wave of potential season-ending tackles. Chicago should be the first team to call San Francisco up.
Cleveland Browns
After giving up 51 sacks this past season, Cleveland was rated by just about every metric as one of the worst offensive lines in the league — and now almost all of that line is off to free agency. The Browns have no clear plan at quarterback going into 2026, but no matter if it's Deshaun Watson or Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, the guy under center is going to face an onslaught. If there aren't any changes to the front five, then Cleveland will burn through passers like kindling. It's not an attractive destination for Williams either, but he would objectively make the team miles better and create an environment more conducive to development.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were tied for the third-most sacks allowed across the league last year (60). Left tackle Christian Darrisaw struggled in his return from a 2024 knee surgery, missing time before eventually being placed on IR in December. There's still promise for the 26-year-old, but if he needs more time to recover, a one-year rental of Williams' services couldn't hurt. J.J. McCarthy needs more time in the pocket to find receivers, and Williams can certainly give that to him.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has a problem on either end of the offensive line. Right tackle Tyler Guyton, a first-round pick in 2024, struggled last year. Opposite him, Terence Steele is considered a potential salary cap casualty. With the latter likely to get cut, Williams would be a perfect replacement who could ease Dak Prescott's blind-side worries. Though, it would be very odd to see the former Washington Commander (2010-18) playing for an arch rival.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are entering a reset year of sorts. New head coach Mike McCarthy will have to do some deep evaluations and make some tough decisions about certain players and positions. Broderick Jones, 24, hasn't quite settled into either right or left tackle, so bringing in an elite talent like Williams would shore up one side and provide Jones with a mentor. Pittsburgh, like Cleveland, has no clear plan at QB, but protecting whoever it ends up being (whether a rookie or an immobile 40-something in Aaron Rodgers) should be priority No. 1 for McCarthy and Co.
Detroit Lions
Despite a fourth-place finish in the NFC North (at 9-8 no less), Detroit is still a playoff contender in this conference. Jared Goff is the best the Lions are going to get under center for quite some time, but he needs help up front. The retirement of Frank Ragnow was evident last year with guard Graham Glasnow looking uncomfortable moving in to fill that void. Williams is a natural fit and could easily serve as a one- or two-year rental to get Detroit over the NFC Championship Game hump.