With quarterback Brock Purdy missing two of the first three weeks with a toe injury, the burden has fallen on the 49ers’ defense to step up, and they’ve answered the call.
A huge contributor to San Francisco’s early success has been linebacker Dee Winters. Coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about Winters’ progression on Friday.
“I think Dee Winters showed us a lot of flashes, Shanahan told reporters. “Since he has been here, he has shown us a lot of flashes of the type of player he can be.
The 2023 sixth-round draft pick learned a lot from Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner as a rookie and has gained the trust of his teammates and coaches slowly but surely.
“I think it’s just the consistency of Dre and Fred, how they showed up to work every week, just the intent and how they worked,” Winters said on “49ers Talk.” “I think that was huge. And that’s what I’m trying to implement in my game, going on Year 3 and moving forward.”
“Last year we were hoping he could get into it,” Shanahan added. “He kept having so many setbacks with injuries … so he’s just in a little bit, out a little bit. When he got some consistency toward the end of the year, you could just see it get better and better.”
The 24-year-old missed the first two games of the 2024 NFL season due to an ankle injury, but has shown his true potential so far this season.
“Just given all the reps in OTAs … not having any setbacks,” Shanahan explained. “Being the starter going in, going through training camp without having an injury, he’s gotten better each day.”
Each week, Winters has improved, currently holding an 82.5 overall PFF grade this season, and a 91.2 coverage grade (second among 123 linebackers).
“With each year in the league, you kind of learn how long the season goes, what it takes to be ready each week,” Shanahan continued. “I think Dee has always been a pretty good pro.
Winters has shown why he belongs as a key contributor to one of the NFL’s best defenses, and this time it seems his contributions are here to stay.
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