49ers could have problems extending the contract with Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers are not only busy with the Brandon Aiyuk saga, but also All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams plans to continue his strike unless his contract is revised, which will limit availability in Week 1 for the 49ers in focus, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“I've been told by someone involved in the situation that he's not going to be available until his contract is adjusted,” Fowler said on Sportscenter. “He has three years left on his contract. That could extend into the regular season, as we're only a few weeks away.”

“This is a player who made about $150 million in his career. He took up golf, stayed away from the team and did his own thing. Of course, he's still training, possibly preparing for the season, but he's not overly stressed about having to be out there right now. And he's the fourth-highest paid tackle, even though he's been the best the last two years.”

Williams, 36, is an 11-time Pro Bowler and has been named first-team All-Pro the past three seasons. According to his current contract, Williams is set to make $20.8 million in 2024, $23.25 million in 2025 and $32.96 million in 2026. However, Williams is seeking guaranteed salary in those salaries.

The 49ers are in “win now” mode, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the Williams and Aiyuk situations. It seems like Williams has no problem missing games. The 49ers hope to keep both of them, but given their salary cap, that may not be feasible.

“The 49ers know they have to do something here,” Fowler said. “They could sweeten the guarantees on his contract. But they're also dealing with Brandon Aiyuk and trying to get this guy ready. So they're hoping he'll be here on the roster soon.”

Brandon Aiyuk of the Washington Football Team with the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona, December 13, 2020 (All-Pro Reels Photography)

Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported last week that Aiyuk and the 49ers have not budged in negotiations and that Aiyuk appears to be committed while the Steelers are waiting and still in the game.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan tried to update us on Aiyuk's situation while speaking with KNBR, but nothing has changed.

“Oh, so much has changed. No, I'm just kidding. No, no new updates. I'm sorry to keep being boring with this, but I wish I said something different, but so far nothing has changed,” Shanahan said.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported in his MMQB column on Monday that the Steelers' contract offer to Aiyuk is less than $28 million per year, which is about the same as what San Fran offered. The Steelers' offer forced Aiyuk to turn to the 49ers again.

“The Brandon Aiyuk situation is dragging on, and I don't have much to add,” Breer wrote. “The San Francisco 49ers star didn't want to go to New England, who offered him more than $30 million per year in their offers, or to the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers' asking price was less than $28 million, which put Pittsburgh right in the Niners' neighborhood – with Mike Tomlin's presence there being the main draw. That, in turn, forced Aiyuk back to the negotiating table with the Niners.”

The Steelers have believed for some time – at least since Steelers now reported on August 7 that the Steelers have reached a master agreement with San Francisco to sign Brandon Aiyuk. It seems that the offer is not lucrative enough for Aiyuk.

Aiyuk's contract does not contain a clause that prohibits the transfer of players, but he has de facto veto power because he refuses to sign a new contract with any team the 49ers reach an agreement with.