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49ers left guard battle between young standout and veteran continues into camp
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- 49ers left guard battle between young standout and veteran continues into camp
49ers left guard battle between young standout and veteran continues into camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Initially, it looked as if the competition might have been over before it ever began.
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But that certainly is not the case for the 49ers ' job at left guard.
"(It's) definitely still an open competition," 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. "Those guys are going to compete all camp."
'Those guys' are Connor Colby , who started six games as a rookie last season with the 49ers, and veteran newcomer Robert Jones, who missed the entire 2025 NFL season with a neck injury after signing with the Dallas Cowboys .
Colby opened camp as the starter. More recently, Jones has taken over with the first team.
"I know Connor was in there initially and then Jones is now in there playing a little bit more with the ones, but those guys are going to keep battling, keep competing," Kubiak said. "I don't think we ever set out to say, 'Hey, whoever's in there the first day is going to take it all the way.' Those guys are going to compete. They're both going to play in the preseason a lot."
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On Tuesday, that pair will be tested on the practice field, as the Tennessee Titans and four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons come to town.
The 49ers will host the Titans for a joint practice on Tuesday, followed by an exhibition game on Thursday night at Levi's Stadium.
The rest of the offensive line is set — and considered solid — with left tackle Trent Williams , center Jake Brendel , right guard Dominick Puni and right tackle Colton McKivitz .
Left guard is the spot that remains up in the air. A year ago, Ben Bartch and Colby started games early in the season before Spencer Burford ended up as the main guy. Bartch signed with Detroit in the offseason, while Burford moved on to the Las Vegas Raiders .
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The 49ers selected Carver Willis in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but Willis appears to be further behind Colby and Jones in the competition.
"That's just got to play itself out," Kubiak said. "They're both doing a good job. No slight on Connor or anything like that. They're just competing, and we're going to keep rotating those guys through and see where it comes out."
