Trent Williams Could Get Screwed in Contract Negotiations With 49ers After Latest 2021 Salary Cap Update

The San Francisco 49ers did an admirable job replacing the retired Joe Staley by trading for Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams, who is entering a contract year in 2020. He took the 2019 season off, so his fresh legs should help out in a big way.

However, Williams is one of the best in the NFL, so he'll be looking for another nice payday after this upcoming campaign. The only problem? The 2021 salary cap could actually decrease, which will significantly affect the 49ers, who are already in some financial trouble.

General manager John Lynch has already been trying to brace for the next couple of years. He's traded DeForest Buckner, Marquise Goodwin and Matt Breida to clear some cap space, and reports suggest Dee Ford, Kwon Alexander and Jaquiski Tartt have also been on the block.

San Fran is already committed to Ford, Alexander, Jimmy Garoppolo, Weston Richburg, Arik Armstead and Jimmie Ward for 2021 (in addition to a few others), so working out a deal for Williams could be complicated, or require some more heavy lifting if the NFL is faced with this worst-case scenario with the salary cap next year.

Either that, or Williams will just have to take less money if the league isn't raking in revenue from ticket sales. If games have to be played without fans in 2020, that's going to affect Williams' standing, whether he's willing to wait for a new deal or not.

While we're far away from this point, it's always prudent to look ahead to see what teams might be dealing with in the immediate future, and it's clear the 49ers could have some problems come next year.