Notre Dame football: 49ers expert says Mike McGlinchey under the microscope
By Brad Weiss
Former Notre Dame football star Mike McGlinchey has been a Day 1 starter for the San Francisco 49ers, but he is now under the microscope.
The San Francisco 49ers made former Notre Dame football star a first-round pick back in 2018, selecting the big fella with the No. 9 overall selection. A starter from Day 1 in San Francisco, McGlinchey has started all but four games in his NFL career, and as a rookie, he looked dominant.
However, last season was a tough one for McGlinchey, who was an All-American in South Bend, and now, there appear to be questions about his long-term future in the Bay Area.
Recently, the talented Peter Pancey of NinerNoise.com put together a piece stating that McGlinchey is under the microscope this season, after looking terrible in pass protection last year. A tremendous run blocker, McGlinchey had his worst season as a pro in pass protection in 2020, and the 49ers can not afford another season where that is the case this Fall.
Notre Dame football star had fifth-year option picked up
McGlinchey is going to be the starter for the 49ers at right tackle in 2021, and he will likely man that position in 2022, especially now that his fifth-year option was picked up. The 49ers as a whole were down last season, so while McGlinchey struggled, he certainly was not the only one who would like a mulligan for the 2020 campaign.
In fact, the 49ers as a whole took a major step backward, as they were decimated by injuries, and missed out on the playoffs after reaching the Super Bowl the previous year. Injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, and Raheem Mostert crushed the 49ers’ offense, leading to a six-win season.
It is possible that the addition of former Notre Dame teammate Aaron Banks arriving via the 2021 NFL Draft could help McGlinchey, as they could both be starting on the right side this season. Banks was an All-American last season for the Irish, and a second-round pick, and if he does start at right guard, that would be a feather in the cap of this Notre Dame football program.