The San Francisco 49ers’ roster has taken a significant hit during free agency.
Key departures include safety Talanoa Hufanga, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, cornerback Charvarius Ward, offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, and the largest contract loss, guard Aaron Banks.
During his four years with the 49ers, Banks’ performance significantly improved, and the Green Bay Packers showed confidence in his ability to continue playing at a high level by offering him a four-year, $77 million contract—an amount San Francisco would have found difficult to match.
Despite this, the 49ers now face the task of filling the gap left by Banks at left guard. According to NFL writer Grant White of SportsGrid, they may turn to the struggling Chicago Bears for a solution. White predicted that the 49ers would pursue Bears guard Teven Jenkins, who has had injury issues but has demonstrated elite-level performance when healthy.
“The primary concern surrounding Teven Jenkins is his durability,” White wrote. “Should he prove capable of maintaining his health, he’d undoubtedly be in line for a significant pay bump… Predicted Landing Spot: San Francisco 49ers.”
Jenkins, 27, has only played in 45 games during his NFL career, but in 2024, he started 14 of the Bears’ 17 games. While not a full season, it still shows progress in his availability.
Spotrac currently estimates Jenkins’ value at a three-year, $31 million contract, which would be a significant cost-saving compared to what the 49ers would have had to pay to retain Banks.
If Jenkins can continue improving his durability and perform well with what might be the best offense he’s ever played for, that potential contract would turn out to be a highly valuable investment.
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