ESPN: 49ers offense is ‘average’ without Trent Williams

With the Brandon Aiyuk drama finally behind us, the media can now shift its focus to the next major San Francisco 49ers storyline—Trent Williams' holdout. ESPN's Ben Solak recently examined X-factors for each NFL team, and for the Niners, the standoff with their All-Pro left tackle takes center stage.

While having Aiyuk on the field for the Week 1 contest against the New York Jets is a significant relief, Williams' absence would be a major concern, especially given the 49ers' Super Bowl aspirations.

Even with playmakers like Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle surrounding Brock Purdy, Solak emphasizes Williams's crucial role in protecting the third-year quarterback. He points out that the 49ers offense is far less effective without Williams in the lineup, providing data to support this claim.

"Brock Purdy has played 1,435 snaps with Williams, and the 49ers have averaged a whopping 0.18 expected points added (EPA) per play on those snaps," Solak wrote. "In the 147 snaps Purdy has taken without Williams, that EPA per play drops to 0.00 -- just an average offense."

Solak notes there's still time to resolve the situation with Williams and get him back on the field, adding that the offensive lineman is unlikely to miss any games. While in-season holdouts are rare, Williams was the most recent player to do so, holding out in 2019 while with Washington.

However, that situation was different. Williams' frustration with Washington's staff played a significant role, and there is no evidence of similar concerns in Santa Clara.

"Still, he has shown he's willing to miss game checks when he's dissatisfied with his environment," Solak continued. "While the collective bargaining agreement signed in 2020 made it tougher for veterans to hold out from training camps with a stricter fine policy, the penalty for holding out from games is much as it was in 2019."

With the Aiyuk saga behind them, the 49ers can now prioritize reaching an agreement with Williams, who is seeking more guaranteed money and likely wants a pay raise after watching several players surpass him on the list of the highest-paid offensive linemen.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that Williams will not make himself available until his contract is adjusted.

"He's got three years left on his deal," Fowler said. "That could bleed into the regular season with us just being a few weeks away. This is a player who's made about $150 million in his career. He's been taking up golf, kind of stayed away from the team, doing his own thing. Still training, of course, getting ready for the season, potentially, but he's not overly stressed to have to be out there right now."