49ers give Trent Williams the bag he was looking for to end holdout: Contract details, grade

Better late than never, we suppose.

Roughly a week before the upcoming NFL campaign, the San Francisco 49ers had two of their best players abstaining from practice amid contractual standoffs.

First, they resolved the ostensibly never-ending Brandon Aiyuk saga with the most unexciting conclusion possible. With that out of the way, they turned to and settled their impasse with left tackle Trent Williams, ending his holdout with a restructured deal.

49ers give Trent Williams the bag he was looking for to end holdout: Contract details

Per Williams' agency, Elite Loyal Sports, it's a three-year, $82.66 million pact. The standout blindside protector nets $48 million in guaranteed money and a $25.690 million signing bonus.

Unfortunately, Williams accrued "just over" $2 million in fines while away from the Niners, which he reportedly won't get reimbursed, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport indicates. As the insider's colleague Mike Garafolo points out, it's "the cost of doing business" for the 36-year-old.

Nonetheless, Williams' $27.6 million salary in 2024 is a substantial increase from his previous price tag -- approximately $5 million after recompensing his no-show penalties. Rapoport notes that the future Hall of Famer becomes the league's third-highest-paid offensive lineman, though he'll make more loot than any blocker this year.

Williams has reached Pro Bowl status annually, dating back to 2012. Moreover, he's earned three All-Pro First Team nods, which have come consecutively from 2021-23. Somehow, the stalwart tackle is getting better with age.

Consistency is Williams' MO. He's in a tier of his own among offensive tackles. Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him as the No. 1 player of the positional group heading into this season. His efforts in 2023 netted him a 92.5 player grade, trailing only Detroit Lions edge mauler Penei Sewell. However, the 14-year pro was the only player to earn pass- and run-blocking scores of at least 84.0.

Considering Williams is still in peak form, meeting his lofty financial demands is worthwhile for the 49ers. Furthermore, his drastic impact on quarterback Brock Purdy's performance last season merits ensuring the two continue functioning in unison for the foreseeable future. The San Fran signal-caller boasted a 28-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio with the former compared to a 3-to-9 proportion without.

Ultimately, San Francisco was at Williams' mercy. He's vital to the team's success. His locker room leadership matters. And with Purdy on an extraordinarily cheap rookie-scale contract, the 49ers have an incredible opportunity to win a Super Bowl before things get expensive. 

Regardless, Williams is worth every penny and then some. Factor in that the 49ers might have the worst offensive line in football without him, and you can argue he deserves even more capital.

Trent Williams, 49ers contract grade: A