San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed on Friday that Mike Person has officially won the battle for the starting job at right guard over Joshua Garnett. Shanahan had previously said that the job was Person's to lose, but did not officially name him as the starter until Friday.
The 49ers signed Person to a one-year deal on May 9. He started his career in San Francisco when the team made him a seventh-round draft pick out of Montana State in 2011. After being released in August of 2012, he went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Kansas City Chiefs, and had two stints with the Indianapolis Colts.
Person played for Shanahan in 2015 and 2016 when the head coach was the offensive coordinator in Atlanta. The offensive lineman started a career-high 14 games for the Falcons in 2015.
Person appeared in 12 games for the Colts last season, which was his second stint with the team, with four starts at center following an injury to Ryan Kelly. He allowed just three quarterback hurries and no hits or sacks during 317 snaps in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.
The 49ers made Garnett the No. 28 overall draft pick in 2016. He started 11 games as a rookie but spent all of last season on injured reserve due to a knee injury.