Getty Former Jacksonville Jaguars guard Ben Bartch
The San Francisco 49ers are adding to their offense by picking up an experienced member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ben Bartch has been in the league for four years with Jacksonville, but he is now getting his first change of scenery by heading to Santa Clara, California.
The signing was first reported by 1010 XL’s Mia O’Brien on November 20, but San Francisco has not confirmed the move at the time of writing.
“The #49ers have signed OL Ben Bartch off the #Jaguars Practice Squad, per multiple sources,” O’Brien wrote on X. “Former fourth-round pick started 20 games in four seasons, including 3 this year. Farewell to my friend Ben, our Smoothie King.”
The addition is a corresponding move to the team placing safety Talonoa Hufanga on the injured reserve, confirmed by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. It’s not a like for like, but San Francisco is getting a lineman with experience and in his athletic prime.
The 49ers were just in Jacksonville for a 34-3 rout, but Bartch did not see the field in that game. Considering that Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was sacked five times and they only averaged 3.5 yards on the ground, getting Bartch on the field might not have been a bad idea.
Bartch’s NFL Career So Far
It’s rare for Division III schools like St. John’s (MN) to put out an NFL prospect, and it’s even more rare for them to be drafted. But Bartch caught the eye of scouts during the 2020 NFL draft cycle as a 6’6″, 315-pound tackle.
The Jaguars drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft and utilized him early on. At first, Bartch would take on swing tackle duties. He also did see some interior play in his 13 appearances as a rookie.
But as Pro Football Reference shows, Jacksonville utilized him more on the interior over the years. As a right guard in 2021, he started 11 games and showed promise. The Jaguars then shifted him to the left side in 2022, but he suffered a dislocated knee after five starts and did not play the rest of the year.
This season, they again had him as the starter at left guard. However, he lost that job by Week 4 as the Jaguars’ OL got healthy. Before his release, Bartch had a much smaller role on special teams in the weeks.
The 49ers are getting a versatile, experienced player in Bartch. They just have to decide where they want to play him.
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Speaks on Hufanga Injury
Hufanga has shot up the ranks in terms of San Francisco’s most important defenders, but the 49ers will now need to figure out their plan without him. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that he tore his ACL tear after the day after the Week 11 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“The guys from last night, got confirmed with Huff (Talanoa Hufanga) this morning. He does have a torn ACL. They don’t think there was any meniscus or anything, so it was as clean as it could be for just being ACL,” Shanahan said to the press.
Hufanga was named a first-team All-Pro after the 2022 season. He seemingly did it all with four INTs, two forced fumbles and two sacks. However, he will now have to rehab, recover and prepare for 2024.
In the meantime, San Francisco will rely on rookie Ji’Ayir Brown. It’s a tough ask for a first-year player, but Brown did just secure his first NFL interception while covering for Hufanga against the Buccaneers.