The outlook surrounding the San Francisco 49ers feels vastly different than it did one week ago, and part of that can be attributed to linebacker Tatum Bethune.
The 49ers entered their Week 6 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers already having fought through a large amount of injuries to significant players, but when linebacker and team leader Fred Warner went down in that game with a season-ending ankle injury, it felt to many like it might have been the one loss the 49ers couldn't recover from. However, after one week with Bethune in the starting lineup, there's reason to believe the defense might actually be able to hold up without Warner after all.
Bethune wasn't the only reason the 49ers shined on defense in their 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, but he was a significant one, as he led the team with 10 tackles while posting one tackle for a loss in his first start in place of Warner. With Bethune as the man taking over Warner's signal-calling role on defense, the 49ers held the NFL's leading rushing offense to just 62 yards on 20 carries.
Some may have assumed a player who came to the 49ers as a seventh-round pick and has contributed more to this point as a special teams player wouldn't stand much of a chance to fill the shoes of one of the NFL's greatest defensive superstars. But if the win over the Falcons is any indication, that assumption may prove to be wrong. Bethune came into the game with confidence in his ability to get the job done, and in the end he delivered, while being driven by the desire to not to let Warner down.
"I've been playing in big games since a little kid," said Bethune, who started at Florida State before being drafted by the 49ers in 2024. "The only thing I thought about was just having Fred's back and just make sure I play to the standard. That was my biggest thought going into this whole week and my preparation. I (didn't) want to let my brothers down and be the reason why a big play happened, like last week against Tampa. So, I feel like my preparation and the whole defense's preparation going into this week, we were all locked in."
Bethune was also motivated by those who might have given up on the 49ers after the injury to Warner. He told reporters after the win over Atlanta that he soaked in everything that was said about the defense over the past several days, and it carried over into Sunday night.
"Me personally, I saw all of it," Bethune said. "Yeah, I saw all of it. And as a defense, we didn't talk about it, but I felt a certain way about it. I was emotional before the game. I even cried before the game because I'm thanking God for this opportunity. You know, it's unfortunate Fred got hurt, but this is also an opportunity for me to be able to expand and get better while I can before he gets back. And, yeah, I'm just excited for this game. I'm happy the way we played."
Bethune was far from the only one who had confidence in his ability to fill in for Warner. Running back Christian McCaffrey knew what the 49ers had in Bethune, and he didn't seem surprised that the defense stood tall with Bethune in the lineup.
"When you sat behind one of the best linebackers to ever play," McCaffrey said, "you get to see how he practices, how he prepares, how he studies tape, and that's such a huge deal for a young guy to come in and what a gift to have that, because you never know when your opportunity is going to come... So, you know, when he got the nod, and unfortunately Fred went down, we had all the confidence in the world in him."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Sunday that the team has long been sure about Bethune's abilities and knew he'd be able to cash in when given the opportunity.
"Tatum's a real good linebacker. We were excited to get him out of college," Shanahan said. "We were excited having him all last year when he made the team, and we've been excited about him this offseason. So, you never know when your op's gonna come, and unfortunately his came with a bad injury to Fred, but he's been ready for this moment for a while, and no one doubted Tatum at all."
The spotlight will continue to be on Bethune throughout the remainder of the season, and chances are not everything will go as well as it did on Sunday night. But while others may compare whatever he does from here to the lofty heights reached by Warner, Bethune will be focusing on staying within himself and trying to be the player he knows he can be -- while maybe adding some Warner-esque highlights along the way.
"I just want to be Tatum Bethune," Bethune said Sunday. "Fred has done so much on this defense and made so many plays, and I want to do the same thing. I don't want to be Fred, but I also want to make plays the same way he does. And this is inspiring. You don't see linebackers do that around the league, and he's one of a kind, too. I'm just excited to be able to learn from him for a year and a half, and now it's my chance to be able to make those type of plays, too."