The Kansas City Chiefs will sign Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III to play alongside three-time champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the team has now turned its attention to who will protect the two of them.
Jason LaCanfora of SportsBoom reported on Monday, March 9 that Kansas City is poised to make strong run at 12-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams if the San Francisco 49ers can’t reach an agreement to restructure his contract in the next 36 hours or so.
“San Francisco would love nothing more than to retain him, but Williams doesn’t have to agree to anything and is aware that there would definitely be a market for his services if he can’t agree to new terms with San Francisco,” LaCanfora wrote.
“Kansas City is seen by many around the league as the team most eager to land him and the one that would be the best fit,” LaCanfora continued. “Williams wants to win a Super Bowl, Kansas City has done more of that than any franchise since drafting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the Chiefs went after Williams very aggressively the last time he was on the open market.”
Trent Williams, 49ers Battling Over Contract Restructure
GettyLeft tackle Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers.
Williams has one year remaining on his deal in San Francisco, which Adam Schefter of ESPN reported recently the team must restructure because of the over-sized salary cap hit it represents.
“With five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams scheduled to carry a $39 million cap number this season, he and the 49ers currently are struggling to find a contractual solution, per league sources,” Schefter wrote on X February 24. “If the two sides can’t bridge their differences in their standoff, Williams would be expected to join this year’s free-agent class, making him one of the premier players available.”
Williams will play at 38 years old in 2026 and is still so good that he will likely command a multiyear contract.
Chiefs’ Pursuit of Trent Williams Indicates Team Sees Itself as Contenders in 2026
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
That is not an ideal situation for a team in Kansas City that already has a reasonably built offensive line heading into next year, as paying anyone in their late 30s big money over multiple seasons is a precarious position for any franchise.
But Williams profiles as a finishing piece to a championship roster, which offers some indication of where the Chiefs see themselves in the conversation of AFC contenders following their first losing season in well over a decade and Patrick Mahomes‘ continued rehabilitation from an ACL/LCL tear he suffered in Week 15.
Kansas City has plenty of work to do on the defensive side of the football, but tipped its hand with the Walker signing that the No. 9 overall pick will likely be used to target a high-end defensive player — perhaps someone like edge-rusher Ruben Bain Jr. out of Miami.
Running back Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame was part of discussions for the Chiefs at No. 9 in recent weeks, though inking Walker puts that talk definitively to bed.
Kansas City also traded cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams in return for several draft selections, including No. 29 overall in Round 1, which the team can use to bolster the interior of its defensive line or replace one of the multiple likely departures in the secondary heading into next season.
Chiefs Linked to 12-Time Pro Bowl LT After Landing Kenneth Walker III: Report