San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Friday that Mike Person will start at right guard against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. Earlier in the week, Shanahan said Person was leading at the right guard position, but would not commit to him starting on Sunday over Joshua Garnett.
The right guard position has been a competition all offseason, and Shanahan said on Wednesday that it would continue through the season. He said Garnett has picked up momentum and could eventually supplant Person. For now though, Person is the guy.
The 49ers signed Person on May 9, after he had bounced around the league since the 49ers first drafted him in 2011. His best work came at guard, while he struggled when he had to play center in Atlanta. He benefited this offseason from Joshua Garnett and Jonathan Cooper recovering from injuries, but he has held onto the job even with Garnett healthy.
I suspect we see Garnett starting by Week 17, but for now, it’s Person’s job. He and the rest of the 49ers offensive line face a tough Vikings defensive front this weekend. We’ll find out in a hurry just how this unit is gelling.