Feb. 27, 2026, 6:45 p.m. PT

The San Francisco 49ers have a decent amount of impending free agents this offseason, as well as some holes on the roster. There’s also the big Trent Williams contract standoff looming.

So, their approach to the offseason will be heavily dissected as general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan navigate the treacherous waters of contract negotiations and scouting. Lynch and Shanahan could try to keep the band together with re-signing some internal free agents or look elsewhere to fortify areas of need.

ESPN’s Aaron Schatz landed on the 49ers adding a key external free agent to the squad: offensive guard Joel Bitonio. The soon-to-be former Cleveland Browns guard has already discussed leaving the team, and Schatz sees San Francisco as a great landing spot for the 12-year veteran.

Would the 49ers be willing to put 34-year-old Bitonio next to 37-year-old Trent Williams (assuming the Niners and Williams can work out his contract situation) on the left side of their offensive line? There is an opening here, and a chance for Bitonio to finally go after a Super Bowl ring with a real contender.

He ranked third among all guards with a 96.4% pass block win rate last season, and his run block win rate of 72.3% was above average. Alijah Vera-Tucker would also be an interesting signing for the 49ers if they wanted to go younger at left guard instead.

At some point, the 49ers will need to invest in the offensive line heavily. Running back Christian McCaffrey had the lowest yards per carry average (3.9) of his career since joining San Francisco in 2022, and the lowest for his career since 2020. Bitonio is an older veteran, but he still has the chops to block well.

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The price for Bitonio is unclear, but he renegotiated with the Browns to play on a one-year, $15 million deal in 2025. Spotrac projects his market value as $12.9 million a year.

If the 49ers want to return to a run-heavy team, Bitonio is a good option to strengthen that idea.