Why the 49ers are Enamored With Ben Bartch Starting

“Ben Bartch is one of the salt of the earth, great guys,” said right tackle Colton McKivitz. “I spent a lot of time with him in the offseason hunting, fishing, doing whatever together. He’s a great teammate and obviously football (player). That’s what we’re here for. 

“You saw it in Buffalo last year, the start of the Bears game last year, before he got hurt, had the ankle injury. He’s got a lot of starts under his belt in Jacksonville, so I think he can step in. Coach (Chris Foerster) said it’s his job to lose, so he’s playing confidently, he’s back, he’s rolling, athletically gifted. Ben’s a great human, and I think he’s going to take it and run with this job.”

Sustaining an injury isn’t new to Bartch. He barely made his debut at 49ers camp recently after injuring his quad during a workout. 

Bartch has a concerning history of injuries over the last three years. Towards the end of his Jaguars tenure in 2022, he dislocated his knee and suffered ligament damage.

That injury essentially did him in with the Jaguars, as they would replace and relegate him to their practice squad. That allowed the 49ers to swoop him.

He started 2024 with knee irritation before finally becoming fully fit to start in Week 14. It’s tough to argue against Bartch being an injury-prone player.

That is the risk the 49ers are taking with giving Bartch the starting job. The bright side is that the guard position isn’t too difficult to plug and play someone there.

Bartch is a perfect example of it. Should he miss time due to injury, the 49ers have Nick Zakelj or rookie Conner Colby to fill in.

The 49ers just need those two to be at a sufficient level, and they should be able to function well on offense. But again, it’s a risk the 49ers are taking.

The contingencies in place are a rookie and a player who they can’t find a comfortable spot for. Buckle up for what is to come on the 49ers’ offensive line in 2025.