49ers gave Colton McKivitz a 'wake-up call' and he hasn't been the same since
One of the biggest questions facing the San Francisco 49ers heading into 2023 is whether or not Colton McKivitz can not necessarily replace, but play well, in place of former starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey. The 49ers certainly believe he can provide quality snaps and that belief is part of why the team felt comfortable […]
One of the biggest questions facing the San Francisco 49ers heading into 2023 is whether or not Colton McKivitz can not necessarily replace, but play well, in place of former starting right tackle, Mike McGlinchey.
The 49ers certainly believe he can provide quality snaps and that belief is part of why the team felt comfortable letting McGlinchey go. Granted, John Lynch and co. already knew they wouldn't be able to afford the former top-10 pick, but that doesn't take away from their belief in McKivitz.
"He is good for the position," 49ers offensive line coach/run game coordinator Chris Foerster told reporters Wednesday. "Mike McGlinchey is one of the best run blocking tackles in the NFL… Colton probably won’t be quite that, but he is a very good run blocker and his protection is really solid and consistent. He’s got a consistent personality. He’s a really tough, hardworking guy. He’s a great character guy… he’s made of the right stuff."
McKivitz was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but found himself on the practice squad a little more than a year later. The former Mountaineer quickly realized that NFL life comes at you fast and nothing is guaranteed.
Fortunately, McKivitz looked at his demotion as an opportunity to show the 49ers that he belonged on the 53-man roster and that he wasn't just a practice squad player (with all due respect to practice squad players, of course).
It didn't take McKivitz long to get back on the 53. The 49ers called him up for the 2021 finale against the Los Angeles Rams and he played every single snap in that game. Per Pro Football Focus, McKivitz didn't play well, at all, and was responsible for allowing two sacks. But at the same time, that situation was as akin to trial by fire as any other situation in the NFL. The 49ers gave him a one-year deal the following offseason and then gave him a two-year deal back in March.
The team was given an up-close look at how McKivitz's responds to adversity and it's a big reason why he's currently the leader for the starting right tackle gig. On top of his playing abilities, too, of course.
"Colton’s been through a lot here and the thing about him was we released him I think it was his second season after his second training camp," said Foerster. "And that was a wake up. If you talk to him about it, that would probably be his wake-up call in the NFL. Nobody claimed him and we brought him back on our practice squad. And to him, that was one of those things where he kind of thought, 'Well, I was drafted. I’m going to be here. I’m going to get my opportunities.' And you come to realize that nothing’s guaranteed and so we brought him back in a practice squad role and he was a different guy from that moment on…
"… That kid, he’s been all business, all work, all about being the best he can be."
Every now and then people need a fire lit under them in order to become the best version of themselves and it looks like McKivitz is taking his wake-up call seriously.
If he can turn his perseverance into quality play on the field, then the 49ers offense will be even better than advertised in 2023.
Featured image via Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
