The 49ers still have room to keep poking around the offensive line market, and one veteran name has now been linked to them as camp gets closer.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton identified San Francisco as a possible landing spot for free agent lineman Brady Christensen on Thursday. The fit makes sense on paper for a team that entered the offseason with some uncertainty up front, lost a few pieces, and had to sort out Trent Williams’ contract to keep him in place.
San Francisco has already made several moves to add competition to the group. Williams got his extension, and the 49ers also brought in Robert Jones, Brett Toth, Zach Thomas, Carver Willis and Enrique Cruz to battle for starting and backup roles.
Christensen, 29, brings a different kind of resume. He played at BYU from 2017-20 and finished his college run as an All-American before the Carolina Panthers selected him in the third round, No. 70 overall, of the 2021 NFL draft.
In five seasons with Carolina, Christensen appeared in 59 games and made 34 starts. He’s lined up at all five offensive line spots, though most of his work has come at left guard - the same position where the 49ers are still looking for someone to seize the job in training camp.
There is one major hurdle: Christensen tore his Achilles last October and has not yet been cleared to return. If he’s ready in a few weeks, though, he’d give San Francisco another experienced option to evaluate alongside Willis, Jones and 2025 seventh-round pick Connor Colby.
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Now San Francisco is looking at a familiar offseason question at safety, with Ji'Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle and Ashtyn Davis also in the mix for playing time. Mustaphas recovery will matter, but so will whether he can get back to the sharper version of himself the 49ers saw early in his career, because their defensive plans for 2026 could hinge on it. [Read more 🡒]