The San Francisco 49ers injury problems spilled over to their offensive line Sunday when left guard Ben Bartch suffered a potentially season-ending foot sprain that will land him on Injured Reserve.
While the 49ers have Spencer Burford who can capably start and handle the full workload at left guard, their depth is now lacking. San Francisco may be able to solve that depth issue, however, by bringing back a familiar face.
Laken Tomlinson was waived by the Houston Texans on Tuesday, putting a former Pro Bowler on the market who had his best years in Kyle Shanahan’s offense in San Francisco. With Bartch sidelined for the season and seventh-round offensive lineman Connor Colby as the only viable internal candidate, adding a veteran who knows the offense would make a ton of sense as San Francisco pieces together a roster for a potential playoff run.
Colby did hold down the starting left guard job while Bartch and Burford were out earlier this year. He was relegated to ‘healthy scratch’ status with the two veterans available, indicating San Francisco may not trust Colby just yet to be a reliable every-down player.
Tomlinson left the 49ers for the New York Jets, who were coached by current 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, as a free agent in 2022. He spent two years there before joining the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, and the Texans this year. His performance has waned since he left San Francisco, but the former first-round pick has a ton of experience and may be viewed as a more capable option than the late-round rookie at this point in their respective careers.
On the other hand, the 49ers have been willing to lean on young players to fill gaps this year and this could just be an opportunity for Colby to suit up on game days with the potential to become a starter again if Burford goes down.
Given the importance of offensive line play, though, the 49ers would be wise to bring in the veteran to bolster their depth going into the final four weeks of the regular season.
More 49ers: 7 49ers are top-10 in Pro Bowl voting for their respective positions
