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49ers Are Getting Much-Needed Offensive Line Help in Trade With the Texans
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- 49ers Are Getting Much-Needed Offensive Line Help in Trade With the Texans
While the San Francisco 49ers have one of the best left tackles ever in Trent Williams , a man who is still going strong at age 38, and a solid right guard in Dominick Puni , most, if not all, of the rest of their offensive line is suspect.
In fact, fans have criticized head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch for not prioritizing the offensive line in personnel moves.
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But on Sunday, the Niners did agree to a trade with the Houston Texans to bring in an offensive lineman who has some NFL experience and has started a decent number of games in his three years in the league.
The Niners are acquiring Jarrett Patterson
Patterson, who will turn 27 years of age on Tuesday, is heading to the 49ers after spending his first three NFL seasons in Houston, per insider Ian Rapoport.
Patterson came to the league as a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 out of the University of Notre Dame. His rookie season in the pros was cut short by a fractured fibula that limited him to seven games, but he appeared in 15 games in 2024 and all 17 games last season.
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He has played both the center and left guard positions in the NFL. He played mostly center in his first two years, but last year, he shifted to left guard permanently late in the season.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Patterson a pass-blocking grade of 64.6, a run-blocking grade of 55.3 and an overall grade of 60 for last season (regular season and playoffs combined).
Left guard is one position that has had plenty of uncertainty for San Francisco this summer. Carver Willis, a rookie who was taken in the fourth round of April's draft out of the University of Washington, is thought to be the favorite to win the starting job at that position. He has been competing against Connor Colby .
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Robert Jones also had a shot at the starting left guard job, but he recently suffered a calf injury. The 49ers released him on Sunday, according to Rapoport. Jones had gotten snaps with the starters during training camp prior to his injury.
At the very least, Patterson can provide San Francisco with some offensive line depth at two positions. At the center position, Jake Brendel , who is entering his sixth season with the team, is pretty firmly entrenched as the starter.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
