Why Aaron Banks Could be Entering his Final Season with the 49ers

Aaron Banks will be a free agent next year and the 49ers don't seem eager to extend his contract. There's a reason for that.

Banks is a terrific young guard and the second-best player on the offensive line behind Trent Williams. There's a reason almost all of the 49ers' successful runs go to the left -- that's the side that Williams and Banks are on.

Banks has been a starter the past two seasons, and he hasn't been selected to a Pro Bowl or an All Pro team. But he's talented and he fits an offensive system that more and more teams are running in the NFL these days, similar to Robert Hunt, who was the Miami Dolphins right guard last season. He started only 10 games and he wasn't a Pro Bowler or an All Pro, and the Carolina Panthers gave him a 5-year, $100 million deal.

The guard market has exploded. Good ones get paid more than $15 million per season now because good offensive linemen are so hard to find. The 49ers never have spent that much money on a guard since Kyle Shanahan has been the head coach. He simply doesn't value the position the way he values tackle and center.

So the better Banks plays next season, the less likely the 49ers will re-sign him. Because if he plays well, he most likely will get a gigantic pay day from somem other team in 2025. Look for the 49ers to draft a guard this year who can potentially replace Banks next year.