The San Francisco 49ers have several interesting storylines entering the training camp. At the top of the list is the return of running back Christian McCaffrey, who missed most of the 2024 season with bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a PCL injury, added pressure on Brock Purdy after signing a contract extension, and Robert Saleh is back again as the defensive coordinator after four tumultuous seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets.
Though it may not be as interesting as the ones mentioned above, the competition to replace guard Aaron Banks, who left to sign with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, deserves attention as well. In an article by Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required), tight end George Kittle spoke confidently about replacing both Deebo Samuel and Banks while attending a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe this week.
“Deebo will always be amazing and Aaron played really well for us, but I am excited about Ben Bartch because I love him as a guy. I am just looking forward to guys taking advantage of the opportunities — because there are a lot of them. We have a lot of weapons on offense — we even have one at left tackle in Trent Williams — and we should still be able to score points.”
George Kittle may already know the frontrunner to replace Aaron Banks
Kittle is referring to Ben Bartch, who was originally picked in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars from Saint John's in Minnesota, a small Division 3 school. Even though the Jaguars were high on him, he was released back in 2023 after they acquired veteran guard Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings. Bartch signed with the 49ers, and he has waited patiently for his opportunities. Now, he gets a shot at replacing Banks.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic wrote in March about little-known 49er players, who could have a big role in the 2025 season. Bartch was mentioned, along with Nick Zakelj, who Bartch must beat out to win the starting left guard job. Bartch has the edge over Zakeji in NFL experience, having started 20 games versus two games by Zakeji, including a Week 13 start against the Buffalo Bills in place of injured Banks.
Of course, Kittle is not the one determining who starts at left guard. The decision will be up to head coach Kyle Shanahan. But for Kittle to speak highly of a little-known teammate in Bartch will certainly pique fans' interest and raise hope that he can adequately replace Banks this upcoming season.