The start of the 2024 NFL season is right around the corner, with the San Francisco 49ers set to host quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sept. 9.
However, the storied franchise has yet to wrap up contract talks with Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk.
The clock is ticking for both of these star players, as Aiyuk has requested to be traded because talks have not gone as planned, while Williams has held out with no intention of returning until he gets the new deal he’s looking for.
The unfortunate part of this process is that both of them have proven their worth to the team, as Williams is one of the elite offensive tackles in the game while Aiyuk is a rising star at the wide receiver position.
Both players are vital to keeping the high-powered offense clicking, protecting quarterback Brock Purdy and giving him a talented target downfield.
With Williams continuing to stay away from the team, the 36-year-old has been heavily criticized by fans, which sparked a reaction from former NFL player Mitchell Schwartz, who felt compelled to express his opinion on the situation on social media.
“It’s crazy in the comments how many people are against Trent holding out,” Schwartz wrote. “Never once seen a player get cut and fans say ‘the team should honor its contract with him, he can’t be cut,’ but when a guy outperforms his deal and wants to be paid as such it’s seen as bad. Why is that?”
It’s crazy in the comments how many people are against Trent holding out. Never once seen a player get cut and fans say “the team should honor its contract with him, he can’t be cut” but when a guy outperforms his deal and wants to be paid as such it’s seen as bad. Why is that? https://t.co/5y1kJcrwcB
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) August 27, 2024
At this point, it seems like there’s been no progress in the contract talks in the Bay Area, which is very concerning with the regular season about to get underway and a formidable opponent coming to town.
However, there is still time to get something done, so the pressure is on general manager John Lynch, or the start of the season could get ugly for San Francisco.
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