Nick Martin’s path with the 49ers has shifted fast, and not in the way anyone in San Francisco probably imagined when he arrived as a third-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2025.
He came into the league with the idea that he could step into Dre Greenlaw’s old spot next to Fred Warner. Instead, a rough preseason made it obvious he wasn’t ready for that job.
The regular season didn’t offer much of a reset, either. Martin wasn’t even active for the 49ers’ first few games, and his playing time only grew once injuries started piling up across the roster.
Now heading into his second year, Martin is buried behind a deeper and more proven group at linebacker. Warner is healthy again, Greenlaw is back to help stabilize the position, and Tatum Bethune and Garret Wallow both gave San Francisco something to work with last season. On top of that, rookie Jaden Dugger looks like the new favorite to spell the starters when needed.
That leaves Martin in a different lane, and maybe one that suits where he is right now. Instead of forcing his way into a bigger defensive role, he appears to be finding a place on special teams. That showed up in San Francisco’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, when he forced a fumble in kick coverage - exactly the kind of play that can get a coach’s attention in August.
It’s not the glamorous route, but it can matter. The 49ers were noticeably better on special teams last season, and that helped them win 12 games even with a huge injury toll. With bumps and bruises already showing up again this preseason, keeping that edge could be important if San Francisco wants to stay ahead of the chaos.
Martin is dealing with a hamstring issue, but if he gets past that cleanly, special teams looks like the clearest way for him to help. It’s not the role he was drafted for, but it may be the one that gives him a real foothold in 2026.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Have A Quiet Strength That Could Swing Close Games
Special teams rarely grab the spotlight in August, but the 49ers have spent this offseason making sure the phase is no longer an afterthought. Replacing Thomas Morstead with Corliss Waitman gave the punting job a new look, and the club also locked in Eddy Pieiro with an extension, signaling real confidence in the kicking game as the roster takes shape.
The early returns have been encouraging in preseason play, with Pieiro knocking through multiple field goals and Jacob Cowing flashing game-changing juice on an 83-yard punt return touchdown. The coverage unit has turned in its own strong moments, too, and under Brant Boyer the group has looked more reliable and more disruptive, the kind of quiet edge that can end up mattering most when games tighten in the fourth quarter. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Running Back Battle Just Got More Complicated Behind McCaffrey
Kaelon Black kept making a case for himself in the 49ers preseason work against the Chargers, finishing with 33 yards on eight carries and adding another layer to a backfield that already has plenty of moving parts behind Christian McCaffrey. For a team that always has to sort through the margins at running back, every clean rep matters in August, and Blacks showing gave San Francisco another rookie to evaluate as the roster picture starts to come into focus.
The broader rookie class has been part of that conversation too, with Jaden Dugger and Romello Height drawing notice as the 49ers continue to sort out who can stick. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris also weighed in on the defensive side of the rookie growth curve, while the latest injury notes were more encouraging overall, with Deommodore Lenoir and DeZhaun Stribling listed day-to-day and CJ West and Dominick Puni back after concussion issues. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Veteran Core Makes This Feel Like A Win-Now Season
The 49ers keep building around the same familiar backbone, and it is a veteran-heavy one. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel and Fred Warner are still the names that make this roster feel dangerous, the kind of core that can carry a team deep into the season if it stays healthy and aligned.
But the age on that group also changes the conversation in a hurry. With so many of San Franciscos best players already on the other side of 30, the urgency is obvious, because championship windows do not stay open forever and the 49ers know the margin for error is shrinking. The talent is still there, but the pressure to turn it into a title feels more immediate now than it did even a year ago. [Read more 🡒]