Trent Williams Ended Contract Holdout Because Teammate Ricky Pearsall Was Shot

Trent Williams was locked in a contract dispute with the San Francisco 49ers that, by his own admission, was making each side bleed a little when something happened that convinced him to end his holdout.

No, not the team's latest offer, although that helped.

It was the shooting of teammate Ricky Pearsall on Saturday in an apparent robbery attempt. 

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Trent Williams (71) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting Affected Trent Williams

"Honestly, to be real," Williams said Tuesday afternoon, "I felt more compelled to come back after that than anything. Because I never experienced, like, in my playing career, to have a teammate shot, so to speak. 

"So, in my mind, I'm like, man I just want to get back and get around the team."

Let's be clear: 

Williams on Tuesday ended a holdout during which he was fined over $1.7 million for missing all of training camp. And at the time of the shooting, he and the club were already inching closer to an understanding on a restructuring of a contract.

That restructure, announced by the player's representation, means Williams gets $48 million in guaranteed money over the next two years. No matter what happens, Williams collects that money. 

Williams Restructure Great, Too

Williams got a $25.7 million signing bonus as part of that guaranteed money. And his total deal over the next three seasons pays $82.66 million.

That will make Williams the NFL's richest non-quarterback of all time. He will collect a total of $358.8 million by the time this contract expires after the 2027 season.

But those numbers, which weren't fully set on Saturday, was not the only motivation to end a holdout. 

Pearsall's status – shot through the chest and out his back, admitted to the hospital in critical but stable condition after a heroic effort by a San Francisco cop, and then eventually released – was the factor.

Why?

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) talks to the media during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Williams And Pearsall Share ‘Vibe’

"Ricky stood out to me," Williams said. "When I popped in around OTAs, for about 30 minutes that I was here, he did go out of his way to come and introduce himself to me. And obviously, we were going to meet each other eventually. But with 90 guys on the team [at that time], you just walk out, and you don't kind of know everybody just yet. 

"So for him to come up and introduce himself, I just instantly felt this vibe and could just feel he's such a genuine person. So when I seen that happen, I'm like, ‘I just want to get back.’ "

Williams says he wanted to be there for Pearsall. And be there for his other teammates.

"I want to be a voice for him to know that everything will be alright," Williams said. "[And] a voice for the team. A lot of people are probably hurt and confused about what happened, thinking am I next? I wanted to be around for that."

This is a 36-year-old man speaking. He's played 13 seasons. He feels he can impart wisdom.

So this, in short, is leadership speaking.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 01: Ricky Pearsall #WO23 of the Florida Gators speaks to the media during the 2024 NFL Draft Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Trent Williams Issues A Warning

And this 49ers leader has a sober but prudent message:

"My message is to realize you're a target," Williams shared with reporters. "This world is a hard place. It's a very, very hard place. I think sometimes we are shielded from reality. 

"For better or worse, whatever the reasons are, we are, we can be. So, staying in the moment and realizing your life is more important than anything you can wake up and put on. Just always keep an eye out, man. And just know there's people out here that don't value human life. You just got be aware of that."

That is not a comfortable message. It's actually a warning.

And it is probably needed in a locker room of Alpha males that are bigger, stronger and faster than the rest of humanity.

San Francisco 49ers John Lynch talked about how the team lost a draft pick after overpaying a player. (© Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)

Pearsall Alive ‘By The Grace Of God’

It's needed among a roster that may have previously thought itself invulnerable but now must understand going shopping for luggage, as Pearsall did Saturday afternoon, can be a life ending excursion unless luck or God or fate intervene.

"By the grace of God, Ricky Pearsall is here with the team and doing really well," 49ers general manager John Lynch said. "Just wanted to address that situation from a team perspective. We just all feel incredibly blessed. 

"I was able to be down at the hospital, and if I heard it from one person, I heard it from so many down there: It's nothing short of miraculous that he came out of this as good as he did."

The 49ers should be celebrating. They still have their first-round draft pick.

Pearsall, who missed much of training camp and the preseason nursing a shoulder injury, went out of his way to tell Lynch he's not injury prone after being shot.

"Ricky takes a lot of pride in being available and continues to point out that ‘I promise you, I'm not injury prone,’ " Lynch said. "Ricky, this is not being injury prone. Like, something out of your control happened. Ricky's going to be great."

He'll definitely have Trent Williams on his side.