Sources: 49ers pass on Trent Williams option, eye deal - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers' are not exercising the $10 million option bonus on star left tackle Trent Williams' contract that was due Friday afternoon, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Williams' salary cap number now will grow to close to $47 million, but the team is not overly concerned about it and still plans to rework his contract before next month's NFL draft, sources told Schefter.

Williams and the Niners have struggled to find common ground on a contract despite negotiating for much of the offseason. Williams is slated to enter the 2026 season with no guaranteed money or years left on his deal beyond 2026. Before Friday, his salary cap number was slated to be $38.84 million, including a base salary of $22.21 million.

Despite the struggles of the sides to strike a reworked deal, Niners general manager John Lynch has been optimistic something will get done.

«Here's what I know,» Lynch said at last month's combine. «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. There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he's been. He's going to be 38 years old and so there's some things that go into that. But I think we're all on the same page and feel very positive about where that's going.»

Though there had been speculation that the 49ers might move on from Williams, they have not actively looked to do so.

San Francisco lacks a proven replacement for Williams on the roster. The Niners added swing tackle Vederian Lowe from the New England Patriots in free agency and retained exclusive rights to free agent Austen Pleasants but with an eye toward depth rather than stepping in