This is what desperation looks like.
Just five days before the 49ers face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the first round of the playoffs, they’ve agreed to sign veteran linebacker Kyzir White, according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.
Kyzir, 29, has started 73 games in his career, including 17 last season for the Arizona Cardinals, where he recorded a whopping 137 tackles. So he was solid against the run, although he was terrible in coverage.
This past offseason, White signed with the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad. He played just 20 snaps on defense and 12 snaps on special teams before the Titans released him. Which means the 49ers essentially are signing him off the couch.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Why are the 49ers so desperate for linebackers? Because Tatum Bethune is out for the season with a torn groin, Fred Warner is out until at least the NFC Championship game with a fractured ankle, Dee Winters is in danger of missing Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, and rookie Nick Martin is on Injured Reserve with a concussion. If White doesn’t play, the 49ers’ starting linebackers could be Curtis Robinson, who started the season on the practice squad, and Eric Kendricks, who won on the couch recently, just like White.
Fortunately for the 49ers, their defense is not complex, so White should be able to pick it up quickly enough to play on Sunday if the 49ers feel they need him. Don’t be surprised if their starting linebackers are White and Kendricks, two veterans who don’t have much left in the tank.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, they have to face one of the best running backs in the league — Saquon Barkley. In addition, they have to face an elite offensive line and a quarterback who doubles as a short-yardage running back. White and Kendricks, assuming they play, will have to perform like they did a few years ago. And that’s a lot of ask two players who each have one foot in retirement.
It’s fair to assume the 49ers don’t expect to play dominant defense this Sunday in Philadelphia — they’re simply too depleted. To win this playoff game, they’ll need Brock Purdy and the offense to perform at its best against an elite defense, something it failed to accomplish this Saturday against the Seahawks.
To be fair, the Seahawks have the best defense in the NFC. Still, the Eagles defense isn’t far behind.
Which means the 49ers’ defense will have to find a way to keep the score low to have a chance to win.
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