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49ers guard Banks not looking ahead to uncertain offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Guard Aaron Banks might have already played his final game as a member of the 49ers.
But he is not allowing his mind to go there, yet.
“That’s a real situation about what’s to come,” Banks told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I’ll cross that bridge when it’s time to cross that bridge.”
Banks sustained a partially torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. He will not play in either of the 49ers’ final two games of the season.
But his injury should not impact his free-agent status, as Banks is expected to “to be good in a few weeks,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Banks is likely to receive considerable attention this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
Banks, 27, a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft from Notre Dame, is expected to receive a significant pay bump after making $8.5 million total over his first four seasons. OverTheCap.com places Banks’ valuation at $8.4 million annually.
The 49ers are expected to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a lucrative contract extension in the offseason, and the club will have some difficult financial situations to navigate.
The 49ers may not go to great lengths to retain Banks when they have other areas of the team that need to be addressed, too.
Since 2011, the 49ers have drafted 21 offensive linemen. Center Daniel Kilgore is the only drafted offensive lineman during that period who replaced his rookie deal with a contract extension.
“Just trying to take every day for what it is while I’m here and hopefully still here,” he said. “But you never know where things will go, so I’m trying not to think about it too much because there’s really no point. Sitting there and thinking about it all day is not going to answer any questions or change anything, so it’s a waste of energy.”
Banks this season put together his best season as a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-guard-banks-not-looking-152807490.html
Author : NBC Sports BayArea
Publish date : 2024-12-27 15:28:00
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