The 2024 season could not have higher stakes for the San Francisco 49ers at this point.
Heading into the second half of the season, San Francisco sits at 4-4, outside the playoff picture and half a game back in the NFC West standings. Though there’s lots of time left to make a playoff push, the 49ers simply have to play better if they want to avoid total embarrassment.
And this season is doubly crucial because San Francisco’s salary cap is about to meet some serious resistance. If the 49ers pay quarterback Brock Purdy what he’s likely to get on the open market in an extension this winter, they could stand to lose several key players as a result.
Starting left guard Aaron Banks, a recent breakout star and an impending free agent, is one of those players. Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department predicted that Banks would land with the Arizona Cardinals, who are the team currently leading the 49ers atop the division.
“Will Hernandez, Evan Brown and Trystan Colon are impending free agents, so Arizona will likely be looking for some interior offensive line help this offseason,” the authors said.
“While Banks’ career got off to a slow start, he’s been having an impressive campaign so far in 2024… Heading into this weekend, the 27-year-old ranked 15th among guards with a 74.0 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus and had only allowed 18 pressures.”
Banks is set up nicely to cash in this spring, which makes things difficult for the 49ers due to their impending cap crunch. He’ll make a lot more than the $7 million that he’s grossed from his rookie contract, and the Cardinals could be more inclined to pay him top dollar than San Francisco.
The 49ers won’t want to lose Banks to anyone, but the Cardinals might be the worst-case scenario. Arizona now looks like the team best positioned to dethrone San Francisco atop the division long-term, and adding one of their key starters would be a big blow in the turf war.
More NFL: 49ers predicted to trade for $4 million ex-Super Bowl champion from Titans
