It appears the 49ers’ left guard position is settled. Per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, the job likely belongs to Ben Bartch, who re-signed with San Francisco in February.
Bartch, 27, entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2020. He got into 41 games across three-plus seasons in Jacksonville and landed with the 49ers midway through the 2023 campaign. He has been with the organization ever since.
He began just two games for the Niners last yr and saw a grand total of 65 offensive snaps in relief of an injured Aaron Banks, but he played well in his limited motion before succumbing to an injury of his own. Banks was one in every of the various players who departed San Francisco this offseason because of this of the club’s cap constraints, which left a full-time LG spot up for grabs.
The battle for that gig got here all the way down to Bartch and 2022 sixth-rounder Nick Zakelj, who has just two profession starts to his name (in comparison with Bartch’s 22). While Bartch opened training camp on the energetic/PUP list, he was activated at the top of July, and Zakelj didn’t seize his opportunity.
“It’s Bartch’s job to lose, really,” offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said of the LG post. “Nick had a likelihood when Ben was hurt early, but Ben got here back quick enough that if Nick would have really asserted himself, [he could have] taken the role, but he didn’t. He was good, but we still feel Ben gives us the perfect shot.”
One among the Niners’ few vivid spots in 2024 was the performance of rookie right guard Dominick Puni, who played every offensive snap and who finished the yr as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-highest-rated guard amongst 77 qualified players. Because the team seeks a return to the postseason and a return to form from newly-extended quarterback Brock Purdy, they shall be hoping that Bartch — who’s earning scarcely greater than the league minimum — can function an efficient complement to his younger counterpart.