Mike McGlinchey

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Lore & Background

McGlinchey's path to the NFL began in Pennsylvania, where he attended St. Joseph/St. Robert School and William Penn Charter School, playing both football and basketball before committing to Notre Dame. After redshirting his first year in 2013, he played in all 13 games with one start in 2014. By 2015, he became a starter at right tackle for all 13 games. Before the 2016 season, he moved to left tackle and was named a team captain, returning for his fifth year of eligibility. He finished his collegiate career with 51 appearances and 39 starts. In 2018, the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the first round as the ninth overall pick, making him the first offensive tackle drafted that year. He signed a fully guaranteed four-year, $18.34 million contract on July 23, 2018, which included an $11.41 million signing bonus.

In Their Own Story

McGlinchey entered training camp in 2018 slated as the starting right tackle to replace Trent Brown. Head coach Kyle Shanahan named him the starter opposite Joe Staley, and he started all 16 games as a rookie. In 2019, he played 12 games, missing four due to a knee injury, but helped the team defeat the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers to reach Super Bowl LIV, where they lost 31–20 to the Kansas City Chiefs. On May 1, 2021, the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option for $10.9 million in salary, but a torn quadriceps in Week 9 ended his season after he was placed on injured reserve on November 10, 2021. He joined the Denver Broncos on March 15, 2023, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal. His tenure included an MCL sprain during the Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 18, 2024, leading to injured reserve before his activation on October 17.

Reader's Guide

McGlinchey's primary role is as an offensive tackle, responsible for protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes. His career highlights include starting every game in his rookie season and earning All-Rookie Team honors. He has experience playing both right and left tackle, moving from right to left prior to his 2016 senior year at Notre Dame where he served as captain. In 2019, despite missing four games with a knee injury, he was instrumental in the 49ers' run to Super Bowl LIV. His contract history includes a massive guaranteed deal with San Francisco and a five-year, $87.5 million agreement with Denver signed in March 2023. Fans should note his resilience, demonstrated by returning from an MCL sprain in October 2024 after being placed on injured reserve earlier that month.

Did You Know?

• McGlinchey was the first offensive tackle selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, going ninth overall.
• He played both football and basketball in high school before committing to Notre Dame.
• His first cousin is retired NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, whose mother is McGlinchey's mother's sister.
• McGlinchey married his wife, Brooke, in 2023, and they welcomed a son in August 2024.