The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with multiple injury situations through the early stages of training camp, but one was rectified last week offensive lineman Ben Bartch returned to field after a quadriceps injury that he suffered away from the team’s facilities landed him on the active/non-football injury list to start camp.

Bartch, 27, played collegiately at Saint John’s from 2016-19, earning All-MIAC in his last two seasons before the Jacksonville Jaguars took him in the fourth round (No. 116 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft. He was a starting guard in Jacksonville for two seasons before a knee injury, but he was benched not long after his return and was waived and placed on their practice squad in November 2023.

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The 49ers signed Bartch a few weeks later and have used him as a backup for most of the last two seasons.

With Aaron Banks leaving on a four-year, $77 million deal with the Green Bay Packers in free agency, San Francisco gave Bartch a one-year, $1.34 million extension and were expected to give him an opportunity to compete for the starting job in training camp.

While Bartch was sidelined for the first few practices, there was some belief that the veteran may win the job, but offensive line coach Chris Foerster gave him a vote of confidence over the weekend.

“It’s Bartch’s job to lose, really,” Foerster said on Sunday. “Nick [Zakelj] had a chance when Ben was hurt early, but Ben came back quick enough that if Nick would have really asserted himself, [he could have] taken the role, but he didn’t. He was good, but we still feel Ben gives us the best shot.”

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Zakelj actually played more offensive snaps in 2024 (162) than Bartch has in two years in San Francisco (93), but he didn’t take the leap that Foerster and the 49ers were hoping he would.

As long as the group remains healthy, San Francisco’s line should be Trent Williams, Bartch, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz from left to right entering Week 1. They’ve started seasons with worse units.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers’ Chris Foerster gives vote of confidence to guard Ben Bartch