Most of the starting positions along the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line appear set—assuming the contract standoff with Trent Williams is resolved. Williams is slated to line up at left tackle, Jake Brendel at center, Dominick Puni at right guard, and Colton McKivitz at right tackle.
The only lingering question is at left guard, next to Williams.
With Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch leaving in free agency, the 49ers face an open competition for the left guard spot. Second-year lineman Connor Colby and recently signed veteran Robert Jones are among the candidates, and the team could add another option via the 2026 NFL Draft.
If San Francisco isn't confident in its in-house options, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport suggests a potential temporary solution worth exploring: veteran guard Joel Bitonio.
Of course, much depends on Bitonio's own plans.
"It's not certain that Joel Bitonio will even play again in 2026—at the conclusion of his 12th professional season, the 34-year-old Bitonio told reporters that he wasn't sure if he would step onto an NFL field again," Davenport explained.
Bitonio has made it clear that whether he returns may depend not just on his body's ability to handle a 13th NFL season, but also on landing in the right situation.
Pro Football Focus graded Bitonio with a 75.7 pass-blocking grade and a 64.4 run-blocking grade last season. By comparison, Colby earned a 64.6 run-blocking grade as a rookie but only a 33.7 pass-blocking grade, indicating room for growth. Jones posted a 54.3 pass-blocking grade and 56.3 run-blocking grade in 2024, his last active season.
In 2025, Bitonio started all 17 regular-season games and played all 1,080 offensive snaps, committing just one penalty throughout the season.
"From 2018 to 2024, Bitonio was one of the best guards in the game—he made it to seven consecutive Pro Bowls and was named a first-team All-Pro twice," Davenport added. "He was also durable—Bitonio hasn't missed more than two games in a season in a decade.
"There are contending teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers who could absolutely use an upgrade inside. The idea of actually winning some football games should be appealing to Bitonio."
Adding Bitonio could provide the 49ers with a proven, versatile guard to stabilize the left side of their line while the team evaluates younger options. Whether he chooses to continue playing, however, remains the key question.
Comments