What 49ers’ reported Trent Williams decision means as contract talks continue

The 49ers on Friday did not pick up left tackle Trent Williams’ $10 million option bonus.But that does not mean Williams’ time with the 49ers is over.Williams remains under contract to the 49ers for the upcoming season. And that $10 million does not disappear, either. The money scheduled as part of the option bonus moves into base salary.Williams’ base salary automatically rose from $22.12 million for 2026 to $32.12 million, according to spotrac.com, which tracks NFL contracts.The 49ers were capable of converting Williams’ option bonus into a non-guaranteed base salary because of their ample salary-cap space. The 49ers are $29.8 million under the cap, according to spotrac.com.Williams’ entire base salary counts against the cap. If the 49ers had picked up Williams’ option bonus, that $10 million would have been spread out over four years on the salary cap.As a result, Williams’ cap figure for 2026 rose to $46.34 million from $38.84 million.The 49ers and Williams can continue to negotiate a pact that works for both sides. A new deal would likely provide Williams with...