49ers Are Turning to This Player as Their Last Hope at Left Guard

It's their last hope, no Star Wars.

Aug 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez (4) waits to call a play in the huddle during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers have a dilemma on their hands at starting left guard.

No one has been able to separate themselves after a few weeks of training camp and one preseason game. Connor Colby has failed, and it seems Robert Jones isn’t much better.

If 49ers fans want to hit the panic button, I fully understand and even recommend it. However, the 49ers aren’t quite there yet. They’re turning to one player as their last hope to start at left guard.

49ers are hoping he pans out

It’s rookie Carver Willis. The 49ers envisioned Willis in the left guard competition when they drafted him, despite having no guard experience in college. He was predominantly an offensive tackle.

Willis faces an uphill climb as he’s not only learning the 49ers’ offense but also learning a new position. It has to be incredibly difficult for him, especially after missing some time due to a concussion.

Still, he’s the 49ers’ last hope. They’re no longer giving Colby much of any first-team reps at left guard, and Jones is splitting with Willis. They’d love nothing more than for Willis to show enough for them to name him the starter.

Clearly, they’re displeased with Colby and Jones. They need Willis to give them some hope, even if it’s just a flicker. But the 49ers aren’t despairing yet, with a few more weeks to figure out the starting spot.

“i still think we've got a lot more time to go, not a ton, but enough for guys to step up and do it,” said Kyle Shanahan after the joint practice with the Chargers. “I think Carver, missing that time, has made him a little bit behind the 8-ball on it, but it's good that he's gotten a full week in and hopefully has no setbacks, so we can make that opinion here in about two weeks.”

The second preseason game against the Chargers will be a pivotal one for Willis. Again, it won’t be easy. He has a tall task ahead of him and will likely struggle.

But even if he does, as long as he shows some positive signs, the 49ers will settle for it. It will give them some belief that they have a player they can work with sufficiently.

Otherwise, they’ll have to either resort to adding a player after final roster cuts are made or solve it with a unique approach they’ve utilized before.

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