Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers came into the season with Ben Bartch starting at left guard. Last season, in 64 snaps, Bartch showed he was an upgrade over incumbent starter Aaron Banks. The 49ers could replace Banks’s production at 90 percent of the cost. In theory, it made a ton of sense to let Banks walk, recoup a comp pick, and roll with Bartch moving forward.
One problem: Bartch’s injury history. He lasted a game and a quarter this year before suffering the dreaded high-ankle sprain. The last time we saw Bartch, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Nick Bosa were in the lineup.
A similar ankle injury landed Bartch on the IR last December. It’s worth noting that the 49ers waived Bartch in August before re-signing him the next day. We bring that up because it’s a sign the team was comfortable loving him in the waiver process.
Let’s go back to 2023, before the 49ers signed Bartch from the Jaguars’ practice squad. Bartch was waived by Jacksonville two months after being activated from the PUP list with a knee injury. Every year, Bartch has sustained some sort of injury.
The dilemma the 49ers are facing is whether they turn back to their Day 1 starter in Bartch, or continue to roll with Spencer Burford, who Kyle Shanahan said did a “real good job” against the Giants in Week 9.
Shanahan was non-committal about Bartch returning as a starter, saying, “It depends on how he looks.” Bartch was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice, which means he’ll have every opportunity to win his job back. But should he?
Against the Giants, Spencer Burford missed three blocks on 63 snaps. The blemish was a sack, but other than that, Burford performed well. Against the run, you could see him “reaching” the defensive tackle to create running lanes for Christian McCaffrey. There was a level of ease in climbing to the second level and sealing off defenders that had been missing all season. Burford’s athleticism was obvious.
As a team, the Niners averaged 6.3 yards per carry on nine attempts running behind Burford in Week 9. That’s difficult to turn a blind eye to, especially in favor of a player who hasn’t taken a snap in nearly three months.
The last time San Francisco played the Rams, the running backs combined for 35 touches. We know Kyle Shanahan will do everything in his power to keep the ball away from Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. We also know how pivotal a game this is. Understanding the game plan, wouldn’t it make sense to leave the left guard in who just allowed you to run wild?
It’s not an easy decision, as several factors go into it. What would you do if you were Shanahan?
