Trent Williams has been one of those players with a long history of holdouts. The veteran offensive tackle missed around 40 days of training with the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 season, seeking a restructured contract. However, to avoid a similar situation, the 49ers agreed to a new contract with Williams, but with an unusual twist.

“NOTABLE and new: The 49ers and Trent Williams introduce a NO HOLDOUT BONUS to thread the needle,” wrote 49ers’ insider David Lombardi on X. “$37 million of Trent Williams’ new contract is fully guaranteed. He can fully secure $11.5m more as a 2028 roster bonus if he does not hold out or miss any offseason time in 2027.”

According to details of the agreement, Williams will receive $37 million in fully guaranteed money as part of a two-year deal worth around $50 million. On top of that, he can earn up to $11.5 million more. But it will be through a conditional roster bonus tied to his participation in team activities.

The conditional bonus, scheduled for 2028, will only be paid if Trent Williams does not hold out or miss any offseason program time in 2027. If Williams skips mandatory or voluntary activities as part of a contract dispute, he would eventually forfeit the additional payment.

Such “no holdout” clauses are uncommon in NFL contracts. Performance-based incentives, such as those tied to playing time, awards, or team success, are more typical. For instance, take Nahshon Wright as an example. In the 2025 season, the Chicago Bears rewarded the cornerback with a $1,441,397 performance-based bonus for the 2025 season. It was solely because Wright’s on-field playing time far exceeded his relatively low base salary.

The “no holdout” clause is relatively new, but was seemingly introduced to provide balance between both sides.

Williams is widely regarded as one of the league’s top left tackles. With this new contract deal, he would secure a significant guaranteed sum at this stage of his career. Meanwhile, the 49ers gain added protection against potential disruptions during future offseason programs.

By attaching a financial incentive to attendance, the team surely aims to ensure continuity in their preparations during the offseason.

Now, as contract negotiations across the league continue to evolve, similar clauses could become more common in future high-profile deals. But with the revised contract of Williams, the 49ers have also gotten some free cap space, potentially for new signings.

Trent Williams’ new contract deal brings up discussion for roster changes

The salary cap in the NFL stands for the maximum amount of money a team is allowed to spend on player salaries in a single season. For the 2026 season, this limit is set at $301.2 million per team.

In the case of the San Francisco 49ers, Trent Williams freed up significant salary-cap space for them by signing a two-year, $50 million contract extension in April 2026. The same aforementioned revised deal, which included a “no-holdout” bonus for the 37-year-old.

“The 49ers lowered Trent Williams’ 2026 salary-cap by a staggering $26 million — from $46.3m to $20m — with his new contract. SF now has over $60 million of projected cap space, armed for in-season maneuvers (trades) and a massive, needed carryover to 2027,” wrote 49ers’ insider David Lombardi on X.

The San Francisco 49ers had a decent 2025 season. They finished the regular season with a record of 12–5. However, despite that, the 49ers finished 3rd in the NFC West. Although they qualified for the playoffs, they bowed out after losing 6-41 to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional playoffs. Now, after hearing about over $60 million reported cap space, fans brought up discussions about potential new signings.

“We have extra LBs, trade Fred and a 1st for Myles. SF goes from a wild card hopeful to a possible SB team,” a netizen wrote.

The 49ers Insider seemed to agree on what Garrett’s arrival could mean for the franchise.

“49ers are already a possible Super Bowl team,” replied Lombardi. “Purdy is one of the NFL’s best QBs, and he actually has WRs and maybe even a defense now. SF already won 13 games, missing both. But yeah, Myles Garrett would make the 49ers odds-on favorites. Cleveland would have to be willing, though.”

Myles Garrett stands as one of the top defensive end players in the league, representing the Cleveland Browns. His accolade as a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner (2023 and 2025) reflects that. Their defense was ranked 13th in the league, and if Garrett arrives, that is expected to further improve.

The player has been great individually, breaking the record for the most sacks last season. However, the Cleveland Browns have not done well to maximize his brilliance, which is why he could be looking for moves away, and the 49ers could be one. But it is unlikely that the organization will let their best defender go, especially with the owner already agreeing to their shortcomings.