The San Francisco 49ers saw plenty of familiar faces in their final preseason game last Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers. One face who may have flown under the radar is Niners legend NaVorro Bowman who praised rookie linebacker Nick Martin.
Bowman was a member of the 49ers from 2010 to 2017 and was an integral part of the playoff runs they made with head coach Jim Harbaugh. The perennial Pro Bowler had one of the most epic moments in the history of Candlestick Park in San Francisco's final game there back in 2013 with his "Pick at the Stick" to secure the victory in the closing minutes.
Together with Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, the duo formed one of the most formidable linebacker pairings in recent memory. The tandem of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw gave that duo a good run for their money, but it is tough to top the greatness of Willis and Bowman together at their prime.
Bowman is now the linebackers coach for the Chargers, a role he has held since 2024 when Harbaugh became the head coach in Los Angeles. It is nice to see the two reunite after all the great things they accomplished together in San Francisco.
On the latest episode of the 49ers Talk podcast, reporter Jennifer Lee Chan said she spoke to Bowman prior to the game, and he was particularly complimentary of rookie 49ers linebacker Nick Martin.
Chan shared this on the podcast of Bowman, "He said he really likes Nick Martin. That's a guy who he was looking at pre-draft. Said he is undersized, but is a real hitter, fast guy, and likes how he attacks every play."
Martin was an interesting player to watch during the preseason and has shown how resilient he can be. His first preseason game against the Denver Broncos was a disaster as he was missing tackles left and right and looked very much like a rookie.
However, he did not let that deter him as he followed up that poor performance with a better showing in Las Vegas against the Raiders and then made some great plays in the game against the Chargers with a tackle for loss as well as a forced fumble.
He will still most likely be the backup to Dee Winters to start the year, but if Martin can improve the same way he did throughout the preseason, he could be a guy to watch out for.
If Bowman is impressed by him, that should get Niners fans excited about his potential.