When San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters exited Sunday's game against the Houston Texans with a knee injury, briefly returning before being ruled out, it was Curtis Robinson who stepped in as his replacement.
That decision raised some eyebrows among fans, many of whom wondered why rookie linebacker Nick Martin, a third-round pick, wasn't given the opportunity instead.
Sunday marked only the second time this season that Martin has been active. However, he has yet to make his defensive debut, with all 20 of his snaps so far coming on special teams. With Winters sidelined, it seemed like a potential opening for Martin to earn his first defensive reps.
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the decision, explaining why Robinson played over Martin and clarifying where the rookie currently stands in the team's linebacker rotation. Might we see Martin on defense this weekend against the New York Giants if Winters, who is day-to-day, cannot suit up?
"He is behind Curtis in that pecking order," Shanahan stated. "If he (Winters) couldn't go versus the Giants, it would depend on how these three practices go. So, he's gotten a lot more opportunities being able to be up for game week these last two weeks.
"He's done really good on special teams. So, I think he's coming along fine. If Dee can't practice, we'll see how he does in these three days."
Martin showed promise during the preseason, and the 49ers still have a lot of faith in the player's long-term potential.
General manager John Lynch recently praised Martin's progress and work ethic, noting how the rookie continues to grow behind the scenes.
"Nick has been working really hard, and I think we kind of saw his progression in the preseason," Lynch said a couple of weeks ago. "You saw a guy who was kind of all over the place, but man, you could see the explosivity. You could see the just rare athleticism, and then, the ability to uncoil, as I call it, and hit through people.
"And so, that's been there, and he's been in that lab that I've been talking about, and he's been getting better. He hasn't pouted. He's been getting better every week, and we'll see if this is his opportunity."
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