In 2019, the San Francisco 49ers offensive line has been tested almost to the extreme. Earlier in the year, starting tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey each missed extended time with injuries, forcing backups Justin Skule and Daniel Brunskill into the fray.
Now, the Niners are going to have to overcome another serious loss, as center Weston Richburg suffered a season-ending patella tendon tear in the team’s Week 14 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan already had a contingency plan in place, as the team inked journeyman lineman Ben Garland as a free agent during the offseason.