Entering the 2025 NFL season, a key goal for several San Francisco 49ers players is to simply stay healthy. The overwhelming amount of injuries was a key factor in the Niners’ dismal 6-11 season last year.
For others, it will be a chance to shine early on. Last season, rookies like Ricky Pearsall, Dominick Puni, Malik Mustapha, and Isaac Guerendo, among others, made their pro debuts.
Established veterans such as Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, George Kittle, and more reminded San Francisco’s front office and fans what they are capable of.
However, one member of the 49ers may have the most riding on him this upcoming season.
Colton McKivitz has to be golden for the 49ers’ offensive line?
A much-embattled member of the Niners’ offensive line, right tackle Colton McKivitz, is going to be under plenty of scrutiny in 2025.
The 6-foot-6, 300-pound lineman out of West Virginia is about to enter his sixth season with San Francisco and has played for the 49ers in 62 games, starting 39 of them.
Colton McKivitz games-played table
| Season | Games Played |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 17 |
In 2023, the Niners opted to name McKivitz as the permanent starter after losing Mike McGlinchey to the Denver Broncos in free agency, and the move certainly shocked many within the fanbase. While opinions on McKivitz’s overall effectiveness over the last two years vary, it’s not hard to find suggestions that an eventual upgrade on the right side is needed.
San Francisco added some depth behind Williams and McKivitz by signing former Kansas City Chiefs tackle D.J. Humphries recently.
But Humphries isn’t a long-term solution. McKivitz, meanwhile, is entering a contract year. For 2025, he’s scheduled to make up to $5.328 million before hitting free agency in 2026. A strong outing this year could propel McKivitz to a hefty deal on the open market, whereas a downturn would cause a flurry of problems.
During the 2025 NFL Draft, San Francisco spent just one pick on the offensive line, interior lineman Connor Colby in Round 7 out of Iowa.
This reinforces the suggestion the 49ers have more faith in McKivitz than many fans would like to admit, although there doesn’t appear to be any long-term replacement in the folds.
With the long-term future of left tackle not being for certain, the 49ers’ starting right tackle can control his sustainability by playing well in 2025.
If McKivitz wishes to extend his professional football career in the Bay Area, this has to be the year that the Jacobsburg, Ohio, native shines.
He has to become the new golden standard for the Niners ‘ O-line.
