During the past three seasons, how much San Francisco 49ers‘ right tackle Mike McGlinchey weighs has been a significant talking point. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster shared his thoughts on the topic, believing McGlinchey’s weight wasn’t the root of his problems.
Foerster never understood why people only brought McGlinchey’s weight up as a problem in the passing game. Instead, he called McGlinchey one of the best run blockers in the league who would often knock opposing defensive linemen off their spots:
I didn’t think he was too light. It’s execution and fundamentals. You’re 300-some pounds. They (strength and conditioning staff) know better than me. How they feel, from the strength coaches and nutrition staff, that’s beyond me.
I know if you put your hands in the right place and play with pad level…I never looked at Mike McGlinchey in the running game and said he’s too light. He’s knocking people off. He’s one of the best run blockers in the NFL. He’s a great blocker.
In fact, I think more weight hurt him a little bit. There’s a level where a player has to feel comfortable. You have to compete. You have to feel the strength. And at that position, it is a big man’s game. So maybe that 10-15 pounds can feel light in the pants. So maybe that’s what he felt.
I keep saying half the time you felt that, you weren’t doing your fundamentals correctly, and that’s why you felt it. If you do have more weight…Trent Williams gets away with some things being as big and strong and physical as he is. He could be lacking technique and it’s just…Erghh.. [buzzer sound] it just stops right there because he’s Trent.
When you are lighter, it does put a premium on the technique.
McGlinchey mentioned Wednesday how he’s gotten down to his pre-Covid weight. McGlinchey’s weight has fluctuated all over during the past few seasons. In 2020, he got as low as 290 pounds. Last year, he was closer to 315 pounds, which he felt was too high. Now, he’s somewhere in the 305-pound range. He explained why:
I think that as much production as I got last year, I still felt I could do things a little bit better. I’m back to playing the weight I always played at. That’s where I played my best football at since I was 18, 19 years old and that’s where I’m going to stay. Feel I’m moving faster, more explosive, stronger, all that stuff. All those cliches you want me to spit out right now.
The 49ers are making sure not to rush McGlinchey back into things too quickly, as he’s gotten plenty of time off and rest during the first week of camp.
It’d be tough to find stiffer competition for McGlinchey than Nick Bosa, who he’s primarily gone against. Those two have had their fair share of entertaining battles. Bosa has beaten McGlinchey for sacks, but Mike’s hip tossed the former Buckeye to the ground on one impressive rep.
Above all, McGlinchey needs to stay healthy for this offense to function. McGlinchey has played full seasons in 2018 and 2020 while missing games in both 2019 and 2021. If history repeats itself, he’ll protect Trey Lance all of 2022.
