March 27, 2026, 6:55 p.m. ET
The Detroit Lions added more offensive line help with its latest NFL free agency signing.
The Lions inked former 49ers offensive lineman Ben Bartch. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman was the 49ers’ season-opening starter at left guard in 2025, but a high ankle sprain in Week 2 sent Bartch to the injured reserve and cost him seven weeks.
When Bartch returned in Week 10, he split time with Spencer Burford at left guard. Bartch would sustain a season-ending foot injury that required surgery.
When healthy, Bartch’s performance was good. Per Pro Football Focus, Bartch’s 71.7 offensive grade was tops among its offensive guards.
But, while Bartch has played in 55 NFL regular-season games and started 24, injuries limited him to just the six games and two starts last year.
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In his three seasons in San Francisco (2023-25), Bartch played in 14 games and started four. The bulk of Bartch’s seat time came with his first team.
Bartch was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 116th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. The Division III product out of St. John’s (Minn.) played in 41 regular-season games and started 20 with the Jaguars from 2020-23.
Bartch joins a group of Lions guards that includes Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, and Juice Scruggs, who the Lions acquired in the David Montgomery trade.
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