Lynch shares 49ers’ LB plan in case Warner is out vs. Cardinals

Lynch shares 49ers’ LB plan in case Warner is out vs. Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

John Lynch and Co. are preparing for a scenario in which 49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner’s ankle injury keeps him off the field Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium.

The general manager discussed San Francisco’s contingency plan in case of Warner’s absence during an appearance on KNBR’s “The John Lynch” show Friday morning.

With the 49ers’ linebacker depth in question, Lynch is considering alternative options to count on, like rookie Tatum Bethune.

“We gotta figure that out,” Lynch told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “We’re a little thinned up at linebacker, but there’s always a plan. A guy we kept, another seventh-rounder, Tatum Bethune. It’s hard to play a rookie at Mike linebacker.

“Fred did it his rookie year because you’re effectively the signal-caller. A little bit through training camp, we saw Tatum had the makeup of a guy who could be a signal-caller. We call it the green dot because they are the ones with the coach in their ear, and Tatum is that type of guy.

“He’s a green dot. He can grab a huddle. He can communicate. And the guy is a tackling machine, so Tatum is a guy who can see some action.”

As Warner recovers from the ankle injury sustained in the 49ers’ Week 4 win against the New England Patriots, Bethune was one of a few players mentioned in San Francisco’s contingency plan.

On Wednesday, coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters on the importance of signing Jalen Graham, the 49ers’ seventh-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, from the Washington Commanders’ practice squad to San Francisco’s 53-man roster.

Lynch, two days later, doubled down on Shanahan’s sentiments over the benefits of adding reinforcements to an injury-riddled linebacker unit.

“We picked Jalen Graham off the [Washington] Commanders practice squad,” Lynch added. “I like what Kyle said the other day, ‘Adam Peters…


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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-10-04 19:13:39

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