The 49ers walked into training camp with competition on the menu, but not at the spot that would have caused the most anxiety. That’s the real win here: San Francisco does not have to sort through a left tackle battle today.
That wasn’t always the case. Earlier in the offseason, Trent Williams’ push for a reworked contract made the position feel like a live issue. The 49ers pushed back at first, unwilling to get pulled into another round of leverage games with a player who still sits at the top of his game and knows exactly how much the team needs him.
And that matters, because the alternative would have been ugly. The 49ers already have one offensive line question at left guard, and that’s stressful enough.
Left guard is one thing. Left tackle is another entirely.
For a while, it looked possible San Francisco would have to chase a replacement, with plenty of mock drafts connecting the team to a first-round left tackle. Instead, the 49ers gave Williams what he wanted and locked in a new deal.
That decision bought them time. They now have two more seasons without having to solve the left tackle spot, with the expectation that Williams likely retires after that. It also gives the 49ers a runway to develop someone behind him, rather than forcing a rushed answer during training camp.
That’s the kind of stability teams chase all offseason. Offensive tackle is not a position you want to treat like an open audition. If there isn’t a clear answer there, the whole thing can get messy fast.
For the 49ers, at least on this front, the mess never arrived this summer.
In Other News...
George Kittle Just Shared A Wild Kyle Shanahan Fight Story
George Kittle has a way of turning even a casual offseason memory into a full-on locker room story, and his latest one goes back to a 49ers trip to Cabo years ago. The tight end was talking about a golf outing that included both families and a few drinks, when a playful exchange with Kyle Shanahan escalated into a moment that sounded more like a backyard dare than a coach-player relationship.
For San Francisco, stories like that are part of the backdrop to a season that always seems to carry a little extra personality under Shanahan and Kittle. The same article also circles back to the roster picture, including Dre Greenlaws emotional return to the facility and the buzz around Jacob Cowing as a potential camp standout, but the Kittle anecdote is the kind of thing that reminds you how loose and human this group can be before the real football starts. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Camp Absences Suddenly Put Early Week 1 Focus On Four Names
The 49ers first week of training camp already has a different feel because of the names sitting out and the roster shuffling around them. General manager John Lynch said the team waived undrafted rookie tight end Khalil Dinkins with a non-football injury designation and brought in Tanner McLachlan, a 2024 sixth-round pick most recently with the Bengals, while defensive tackle Evan Anderson is expected to be released once a corresponding move is made.
More pressing for San Francisco is the group starting camp on the active/PUP list, with George Kittle, Isaac Guerendo, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins all set to begin on the sideline. Lynch said Kittles rehab is coming along tremendously and that he is doing everything possible to be ready for Week 1, while Williams is also making every effort to be available for the opener even if that remains uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
5 Young 49ers Could Force Their Way Into Camp Battles
Training camp has a way of turning depth-chart guesses into real competition, and the 49ers have a handful of young players who could make that happen before the pads even come on. Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, Romello Height, Kurtis Rourke and Ephesians Prysock all arrive with different paths, but the same basic challenge: show enough early to make the staff keep them in the conversation for roles that are still very much up for grabs.
For some, the opening is obvious. Cowing can help himself on special teams even before he proves more as a receiver, while Height is the kind of edge presence the 49ers have been searching for in the right situation. Rourke is trying to stand out in a quarterback room that already has established names, and Prysock has a chance to make life interesting in the secondary. James, meanwhile, is in the middle of a backfield race that could be decided by who looks most ready when camp starts sorting out the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]