The 49ers are losing left guard Aaron Banks in free agency, meaning Ben Bartch is likely the go-to replacement in 2025.
In an expected transaction, left guard Aaron Banks won't be staying on with the San Francisco 49ers.
With the start of the NFL's new year, the opening wave of free agency saw the Niners' starting lineman depart, signing a new $77 million deal with the Green Bay Packers.
Just days before free agency began, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Banks could earn something in the range of $18 million to $20 million per year, which was far beyond San Francisco would be comfortable paying him.
The 49ers were likely aware of this months ago, knowing their second-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame wasn't going to return.
So, a contingency plan had to be put in place.
Aaron Banks' replacement for 49ers could be Ben Bartch
Reserve offensive lineman Ben Bartch was a relatively unnoticed fill-in late last season, even pitching in for Banks when the latter suffered a season-ending injury.
Bartch, too, was eventually lost for the year but ultimately impressed enough to warrant a re-sign deal on the cheap from the Niners.
San Francisco has relied on patchwork O-lines before, particularly at guard, so it's not out of the realm of possibility Bartch winds up being a day-one starter in 2025 with Banks now on the move.
Of course, despite lacking exceptional depth at tackle, this year's draft has plenty of promising interior linemen, so it wouldn't be too shocking if the 49ers used a mid- or late-round pick to find someone who could compete with Bartch for a starting job.
Given the uncertainty of the draft, though, having Bartch as a go-to option in the wake of Banks' departure is ultimately going to pay off in one way or another.
