The San Francisco 49ers are seemingly growing increasingly concerned about the absence of key players during training camp. While wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is attending camp amid his contract extension standoff, he isn't participating in practices. Meanwhile, veteran left tackle Trent Williams is absent altogether. The team placed Williams on the reserve/did not report list after he failed to report to training camp with the rest of his teammates. His holdout is costing him $50,000 per day in fines.
Williams, who has no guaranteed money left on his current contract, seeks a restructured deal. If not resolved quickly, his continued absence could become a significant problem for the 49ers.
Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster spoke with reporters on Friday and was asked how soon Williams would need to start practicing to be ready for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the New York Jets.
"As soon as possible," Foerster answered. "The reps that he takes now are valuable."
Williams, who just turned 36, typically receives ample time off from practices to keep him fresh and healthy throughout the grueling NFL season. Therefore, the limited reps he misses now are even more critical.
"My thing with him for years has been, yes, as a 14-year vet, any player I've had that gets up in years, they still need work," Foerster continued. "Everybody does. Every position. Great basketball players still go out and shoot free throws. They still practice. You still have to practice. You just have to limit the amount of exposures you give them and the amount of pounding that their body takes. And that's all we try to do."
The 49ers will begin padded practices next week, meaning Williams will miss the entire early ramp-up leading to those sessions.
Williams' absence also impacts other players, notably Jaylon Moore. While Moore gains valuable practice reps filling in for the absent Williams, the job belongs to the 11-time Pro Bowl tackle. Nothing Moore does in training camp will change that. As a result, he is missing out on the opportunity to compete for other positions, which is a recurring issue for him.
"So unfortunately, it's always been a problem for Jaylon," Foerster shared. "He hasn't had a chance to compete at other positions because he's always kind of filled in for Trent in this time of year."
The 49ers hope to reach a resolution soon, allowing Williams to return to the field and the team to solidify its offensive line.
