The San Francisco 49ers got a win against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, but as they have made a habit of doing, they lost a key player in the process. Linebacker Tatum Bethune went down with a high ankle sprain, which means Curtis Robinson is going to have to step up.
San Franciso's injury woes would be comical if this same thing didn't happen every single year, but at this point, the team has to simply be aware that it is going to be a war of attrition.
The Niners already lost their star linebacker Fred Warner due to a broken ankle earlier this season. There is some speculation he could return at some point in the playoffs, but that seems like a dream scenario at this point.
Bethune stepped in and did a very nice job. He had 10-plus tackles in every start he had after Warner's injury except for the one against the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, it seems like the Niners are going to be without Bethune for a couple of weeks at least.
Now, Robinson is going to be called upon to play MIKE linebacker. He did a good job against Arizona, as he tallied 12 tackles after having to fill in. He went down with an injury in the game but should be ready to go in Week 12 against the Carolina Panthers.
Robinson was a solid player during his time at Stanford, as he racked up 144 tackles in his collegiate career. He went undrafted, and the Denver Broncos signed him as an undrafted free agent, but the 49ers swooped in to sign him after he got released.
General manager John Lynch is a Stanford guy himself, so maybe he had a soft spot for the California native. Robinson has stuck around with San Francisco for a while now and is finally getting his shot to shine.
He has shown flashes of solid play in preseason games and on special teams and had to battle back from a torn ACL a few years back that likely prevented him from getting a shot at a starting role.
We will see how he looks in his first career start. He may have his hands full with the Carolina Panthers featuring two big, solid running backs in Rico Dowdle and Chubba Hubbard who may be tough to bring down.
The 49ers have no choice, though, as their defense has been decimated by injuries.
Robinson is simply the next man up.