49ers Starting Guard Won't Have Surgery on Wrist Injury

A sigh of relief for 49ers starting right guard Spencer Burford.

Jan 7, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Spencer Burford (74) during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Good news has been provided on San Francisco 49ers starting right guard Spencer Burford.

Kyle Shanahan revealed at his press conference on Friday that Burford won't have surgery on his fractured wrist. It usually is a fantastic sign if a player doesn't require an operation on an injury. However, Burford is still expected to miss a few weeks of practice from the time he got hurt.

“He's not having surgery. Still be about the timeline I told you guys he's not going to have surgery.” Kyle Shanahan said.

So it'll be roughly two more weeks for him before he is seen back in training camp practicing again. This may seem like a small bump in the road for Burford considering it isn't that much time he'll miss for a fairly significant injury.

But it is still crucial quality time that will be missed. That is because rookie Dominick Puni has been reportedly running with the first-team during practice. All of that time missed is enough for Puni to make a strong impression on the coaches to have him stay there.

It won't even matter if Burford is healthy and that he was the one taking the initial starting reps when camp opened up. The 49ers drafted Puni for a reason and it was to be their potential answer as the starting right guard. It just turns out that the opportunity for him is arriving earlier than anticipated.

Burford isn't some anchor starter either, so the 49ers will easily go with Puni if he showcases to handle the role well. I'd bet that we've seen the last of Burford as the starter with the 49ers flipping the page to Puni.