49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey has nothing but good things to say about his new teammate and fellow offensive lineman Trent Williams.
A year ago, 49ers right tackle Mike McGlinchey underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his knee that forced him out of the team’s June minicamp and a portion of the team's organized team activities.
McGlinchey did not wait nearly that long after the Super Bowl to receive the maintenance procedure this offseason.
That decision allowed him to get in a lot of quality work at the 49ers’ practice facility in Santa Clara during a time when most players around the NFL were forced to work out on their own during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Because he underwent the PRP procedure at the beginning of the offseason, McGlinchey was classified as a rehabbing player and was cleared to train with the 49ers’ staff during the lockdown.
McGlinchey said he worked closely during that time with head of player health and performance Ben Peterson, head strength and conditioning coach Dustin Perry and head athletic trainer Dustin Little.
“I was here working with our staff, and I’m really, really proud of the things we did and the basics that we put back into my training that are going to allow me to be a much more functional athlete and stronger football player,” McGlinchey said on a video call with Bay Area reporters.
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In a short period of time, the 49ers have established one of the strongest rosters in the NFL. In the recent listing of the NFL's top players, their peers voted five 49ers among the best 100 in the league.
The way McGlinchey ended last season might have put him in position to enter that conversation this season.
“The player I was in the back half of last season is a completely different player from the one that started it,” McGlinchey said. “And the whole goal for me is to continue to build on that and build on the success I had, both run and pass, and the just the overall consistency and domination of the blocks I had.”
McGlinchey said the offseason months were a time for him to work on becoming stronger and more agile.
McGlinchey missed four games early in the season after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. He returned as a much better player – mentally and physically.
“The four weeks I had off in the middle of the season last year really allowed me to focus on myself and how I was moving, how I was studying the game, how I was studying the nuances of our offense and how to apply them to what we do,” McGlinchey said.
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The 49ers selected McGlinchey with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The 49ers chose him ahead of such defensive players as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Marcus Davenport, Tremaine Edmunds and Derwin James. There have been no regrets from those who made that call.
At the time, the long-term plan called for McGlinchey to eventually take over for Joe Staley at left tackle. The 49ers now believe McGlinchey has found a home on the right side, and keeping him there is in the best interest of the organization.
With seven-time Pro Bowl player Trent Williams getting up to speed on the left side, the 49ers are counting on their offensive tackles to handle their jobs and become one of the strengths of the team.