49ers use Trent Williams contract to show they're done with holdouts
SFGATE • • sports
Key Points:
- Trent Williams signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers that includes a unique no-holdouts clause, reflecting the team's frustration with previous holdouts.
- The clause offers Williams an $11.5 million roster bonus in 2028 if he remains on the roster by September 1, 2027, and does not hold out or miss any offseason time, fully guaranteeing the bonus if earned.
- This provision directly targets holdout tactics, which involve players skipping team activities to negotiate better deals, and represents a rare contractual approach to prevent such situations.
- The clause suggests the 49ers expect Williams to remain a valuable player approaching 40 and may consider extending his contract, though they retain the option to cut him after June 1, 2028, to save money.
- It remains to be seen if this no-holdout clause will become a standard practice for the 49ers in future big-money contracts or if it is unique to Williams.
