One Starting Spot the 49ers Shouldn't Have a Competition at

Competition isn't always the perfect answer.

Jun 10, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive linemen Trent Williams (71), Nick Zakelj (63) and Ben Bartch (78) participate in a drill during an OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

As many as eight starting spots are open on the San Francisco 49ers for the players to seize. 

Most of those spots reside with the defense. However, there is one starting spot that is open on the offense, and that is the left guard position. 

With Aaron Banks signed to the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers will have a new starter there. Veteran Ben Bartch initially seemed like a lock to be the starter, but injuries have derailed him this offseason. 

The 49ers have been rolling with Nick Zakelj there. Bartch made his training camp debut on Thursday, which allowed Kyle Shanahan to clarify that the left guard position is an open competition. 

“Yeah, definitely, one that we're excited to see,” Shanahan said. “Bartch got his opportunity last year, played real good versus Buffalo and he was one of the guys I was excited to evaluate those last three games of the year but he got hurt on the third play of the game the next week so we really didn't get a chance to do that.

“Then he hurt his quad squatting when they were away, so really excited to get him back out there today. It’s given Zakelj a lot more reps, which has been good for him, but I'm excited to watch those two go at it.”

Competition isn't always great

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Nick Zakelj (63) before the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Having an open competition at left guard aligns with the theme of training camp, but it isn’t a position where one should be had. 

Investing a lot of reps on Bartch isn’t a sound plan. Yes, he did perform admirably in his limited playing time last year. But that’s exactly why it isn’t a sound plan.

Bartch sustained an injury after playing for a short time. He’s an injury-prone player. His body won’t be able to hold up for an entire season. 

He can’t even work out normally without injuring something. That is why he was added to the NFI (Non-football injury) list. 

He sustained a quad injury from a workout away from the facility. There’s no denying that his injury luck is unfavorable. 

He probably is the best player to start there and will give the 49ers their ideal starting offensive line. However, what good is it if he’s going to keep getting dinged up? 

At least with Zakelj, he doesn’t have the injury worry. And if he does fail to perform well consistently, the 49ers can always put Bartch in the lineup. 

Zakelj will benefit more from the reps than Bartch right now. Shanahan admitted how beneficial those extra reps were for Zakelj. 

He needs them the most and is more likely to grow given his age and stage of his career. With Bartch, all the 49ers are getting is false hopes. 

But this is a decision they made early in the offseason. He’s most likely going to be the starting left guard next to Trent Williams. 

It’s just going to double trouble on the left side in regards to Williams and Bartch, who are two players the 49ers will worry about being able to stay healthy.

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