The San Francisco 49ers are all too familiar with the value of a backup offensive lineman. To boost their depth, the team added 29-year-old Brett Toth, who played a significant role for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
Toth started four games, in which he played 363 snaps. Prior to last season, Toth played 224 offensive snaps in his entire career. Toth spoke about his positional versatility ahead of last season:
“Do what they tell me to do, be an asset in the locker room, the meeting room. For me,
it’s been an interesting role. I’m sure you all have seen it over seven years. As a backup, you don’t really get set at one position. You just kind of work at the position that’s available, whatever they tell you to do. And just be able to kind of pass culture along to the new guys and just impart whatever wisdom that’s been imparted on me over the years.”
The 49ers are hoping Toth can share some of that wisdom with the young offensive linemen on the roster, like Carver Willis, Connor Colby, and Dominick Puni.
Basic Info
Age: 30
Experience: 6 accrued seasons
Height: 6’6
Weight: 304 pounds
Cap Status
Toth signed a one-year deal that guaranteed him $2.215 million, including a $1 million signing bonus. Is he a placeholder starter? Purely for depth? Or will he end up as one of the better values of this past offseason if he winds up earning another contract after starting every game for the 49ers?
What position will he play with the 49ers?
Philly used him as a tackle at first. He also played guard and center. Two of Toth’s starts came at center, while the other two came at left guard.
If you watched Toth last season, it didn’t take long to realize why he didn’t last long on the outside. He entered the NFL sub-300 pounds with a wingspan in the 24th percentile. The Broncos defensive line was able to get into his frame relatively easy.
The good news is Toth’s competitive spirit and strength allow him to either strain long enough for his 1-on-1 to end in a draw or recover and win.
There isn’t a true backup center to Jake Brendel outside of Toth. That could end up being Carver Willis, but you’d think Willis gets a shot at left guard, too. There are so many moving parts along the offensive line that no outcome would be surprising. We know Toth will make the roster. But it’s a guessing game as far as where he ends up on the depth chart.
So let’s guess. Toth is the emergency backup for Brendel and whoever starts at left guard. He’ll fill in when needed, but he doesn’t end up starting. If he does, that says more about the rest of the options at left guard.
