Three-time Pro Bowler turned down playing for 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have the NFL's best left tackle in Trent Williams, but they are in need of a right tackle now after former top-10 pick Mike McGlinchey bolted for the Denver Broncos. Apparently, 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle tried to get three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan, who is currently a […]
The San Francisco 49ers have the NFL's best left tackle in Trent Williams, but they are in need of a right tackle now after former top-10 pick Mike McGlinchey bolted for the Denver Broncos.
Apparently, 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle tried to get three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan, who is currently a free agent, to come play in the Bay Area.
But, Lewan turned Kittle down.
The duo discussed the conversation on Lewan's podcast, Bussin' With The Boys, alongside co-host and NFL linebacker Will Compton. As it turns out, Lewan had a pretty damn good reason why he didn't want to come play for the 49ers.
"Kittle called me and said, 'Hey, are you trying to come play for the 49ers?', said Lewan. "And I go, 'No.'"
"And he was like, 'Why?' And I said, 'Because you guys have the best left tackle in the history of the NFL.'"
Kittle tried to convince Lewan to play right tackle, but Lewan clearly had no interest in doing that. Lewan later entertained the idea of coming in as the 49ers swing tackle, but remained vehemently opposed to playing right tackle. The swing tackle comment is interesting, however, as Lewan is taking a lot into account when it comes to his new potential job.
Lewan was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and went on to play nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2016-2018, but has missed 30 games over the last three seasons due to injuries.
But, when healthy, Lewan remains a serviceable player. He would be a very solid swing tackle and honestly, that makes a lot of sense for him at this stage of his career.
One thing the 49ers can offer, however, is a legit shot at a Super Bowl ring. They still have one of the NFL's best rosters and if everything goes OK at quarterback, they'll easily be in the mix throughout the 2023 season.
And that in itself could be enough to change Lewan's mind. Either way, Lewan and Kittle on the same team would be must-see TV, regardless if Lewan is a backup.
You can check out the full episode of Bussin' With The Boys, here. The above conversation starts at the 22:45 mark.
