Just over two weeks ago, Williams agreed to a two-year, $50 million deal with the Niners, ending what could have been yet another lengthy holdout in recent team history. As reporters shared additional details about this new contract, one clause in particular stood out: a no-holdouts clause.
“If Williams is on the roster on September 1 of 2027 and does not hold out or miss any offseason time he will earn an $11.5 million roster bonus in 2028 that will be fully guaranteed if earned,” wrote Over the Cap, which had this information first.
For the uninitiated: A holdout is when a player does not show up to training camp, other team activities and even games while under contract — typically, but not always, in the final year of it — as a negotiating tactic for a better deal. This clause seems to address that approach, which Williams had already done once in 2024, directly. The only possibility for wiggle room would be whether the “miss any offseason time” portion covers a potential “hold-in,” a la Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, but it’s hard to imagine a contract with this provision not closing that glaring loophole.
The way teams normally handle this is that they continue to fine the player holding out for the number of practices he misses, and then dock him his game checks if the protest spills into the season, so the incentive to not hold out is to not lose money. But this looks to be one of the only times a team has actively chosen to prevent a holdout with a financial bonus.
This clause also indicates where the Niners predict their star left tackle’s value will be in two years, even as he’ll be just a couple months away from 40. After all, an important element of a holdout is that the player needs to be talented enough to warrant concern that he’s not preparing for the season. If the team doesn’t want him to hold out, it means they’re leaving open the possibility that they’d offer him a new deal, or extension, as soon as next year. But even if Williams secures this eight-figure bonus, the Niners could cut him to save money in 2028 after the June 1 deadline, incentivizing both sides to let this relationship come to a simple conclusion two years from now if his play doesn’t hold up.
Whether this is a one-time thing for Williams or a new 49ers standard for big money players will have to wait until their next big negotiation. But one thing is for sure: San Francisco is doing everything it can to keep another holdout from happening.