49ers lose Joe Staley to leg injury, have replacement options

During the San Francisco 49ers’ 41-17 beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals, starting left tackle Joe Staley injured his leg, fracturing his fibula, which will keep him out for an estimated six-plus weeks. Here’s a few of the options to replace him.

There was a lot to like in the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 2 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The defense looked great, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally seemed at ease after his 2018 ACL tear and the Niners pummeled the Bengals on the way to a 41-17 victory.

However, there was one thing to not like.

That’s right. The 49ers left tackle, Joe Staley, broke his fibula.

If you’ve seen The Blindside, you’re probably aware of how important a left tackle is to an offense. The left tackle is the most important part of a team’s offensive line, as he protects the blindside of a right-handed quarterback, the side where defenses typically send their best pass-rusher. Hence the movie title. An experienced, competent left tackle is something every NFL team needs if it wants to succeed, and the Niners have one in Staley.

Staley has spent all of his time in the league with the 49ers. In that span, he has made six Pro Bowls and established himself as one of the NFL’s elite left tackles. Although he is nearing the end of his career, Staley has still been playing at an elite level.

The 49ers O-line was always a concern for the 2019 season. Indeed, one of my colleagues wrote a piece before the season about how the O-line staying healthy could be the most critical factor in the team having a successful season.

And now, the Niners have lost their best and most important O-lineman for an estimated eight weeks. While Staley should hopefully be back by the end of the season, eight weeks is an important chunk of the season, and the Niners will need to have a plan in place to protect Garoppolo in that time.

Here are some potential options.