A future starter could be emerging on the San Francisco 49ers offense

What a pleasant surprise.

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The San Francisco 49ers have been piecing things together on the fly all season. So, it should be no surprise that the team is not only getting satisfactory play from their third option at left guard, but it may actually be their best fit for the position. The San Francisco 49ers may have found their starter at left guard moving forward with Spencer Burford.

Will the San Francisco 49ers extend Spencer Burford?

Entering the 2025 season, Burford had just 81 snaps at left guard. The coaching staff left him for dead at the position. They went into training camp, starting Ben Bartch at left guard and having rookie Connor Colby serve the role as the backup. 

Burford was working as the backup left tackle in training camp, so even when Bartch was banged up or missed time, the team turned to Nick Zakelj as the third option at left guard. Still, he hardly played the role and spent most of the year on the practice squad. 

After Burford spent the summer as a left tackle, he spent the start of the season on the Injured Reserve. The team shuffled through all three options, and none of them proved to be capable of starting. So, finally healthy with almost no time working at left guard, they asked Spencer Burford to step in.

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Burford has been the starter since Week 9 and while there have been rough patches throughout the year, he has started to find his own. His play against the Philadelphia Eagles was crucial to winning in the Wild Card, considering the Eagles' interior is the best aspect of their defense. 

Funnily enough, Burford mostly played on the left side in college. He spent two years at left guard before two seasons at left tackle. So, it should not be a big shock that it took a mid-round pick from a smaller school to adjust to the right side during his first two seasons. 

Burford was depth last season and mostly played back on the left side, and now in year four, he is playing the position he once played in college, albeit back in 2019. 

It may be that he feels better on the left side, and as he grows into the role, he can be a long-term fit.

San Francisco has a growing list of needs due to the injuries hitting the roster. They only have so many picks and so much salary cap space, so if they felt comfortable at left guard, it would help them in a big way. Every game from here on is an audition for what he can provide next year.