A year ago, it appeared as if perennial practice squad linebacker Curtis Robinson was finally going to break through the proverbial glass ceiling and find his way full time on the San Francisco 49ers' 53-man roster.
Except a torn ACL suffered just three weeks into the regular season ended those dreams. It was devastating, as Robinson was showing all kinds of prowess during the preseason beforehand.
Prior to 2024, Robinson had been a regular call-up during his Niners tenure, not having a great opportunity to usurp more-established backers like Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Azeez Al-Shaair and others.
Greenlaw, as well as other veterans like Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and the controversial De'Vondre Campbell, are gone now.
Yet San Francisco's subsequent roster moves and changes cast a big shadow on Robinson's prospects to return back to the kind of role he held so briefly a season ago.
It's not yet training camp, and Curtis Robinson's roster spot is in danger
The 49ers opted to re-sign Robinson during the offseason, reinforcing their faith in him as a potential depth option, especially after Greenlaw's free-agent departure. But, it didn't take long to see the Niners expressing faith in third-year pro Dee Winters, who seemingly has command of the starting weakside role alongside Warner entering training camp.
And that was before San Francisco used a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Oklahoma State's Nick Martin, then appeasing coordinator Robert Saleh by inking former New York Jets backer Chazz Surratt.
Assuming the 49ers keep six linebackers, it's not hard to do the math and see Robinson is already in danger. Warner, Winters, Martin and Surratt already take up four spots, while Luke Gifford, Tatum Bethune and Jalen Graham are all hotly in the mix for the fifth and sixth final spots.
It'll be a hot competition, putting it bluntly.
Now, the Niners may opt to declare Robinson on an injury list to open up the season, likely the physically unable-to-perform (PUP) list for camp and maybe injured reserve when final roster cuts are announced, although they'd have to hold a roster spot for him before putting him on IR at the risk of cutting another player to be-resigned later.
Of course, San Francisco could also waive/injured Robinson and then re-sign him, too, provided another team doesn't pounce.
Regardless, the fifth-year pro who secured the 49ers' nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2024 faces uncertain odds and an uncertain future right away with camp just around the corner.