The San Francisco 49ers walked out of Week 11 with a huge 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The win pushed Kyle Shanahan’s team to 7-4, and the mood around the Bay soared. Yet one veteran walked out with a very different vibe. The win felt great, but the aftermath brought a financial sting that might change his mood.

On November 22, the NFL dropped its newest Gameday Accountability report, and that is where the Niners’ linebacker Curtis Robinson’s name surfaced. It listed him for unnecessary roughness after a hip drop tackle. Soon after, the league hit him with a $6,500 fine.

The timing caught fans off guard, especially since the defense had played one of its sharpest outings of the season. Then the details became clearer. Robinson’s penalty came early in the third quarter at the 14:21 mark.

However, he still has a chance to challenge the fine. As part of the appeal process, he can take his case to Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson. They handle every appeal jointly for the league and the NFLPA. However, their final call cannot be overturned, which makes each appeal a big gamble for any player.

Even so, Robinson’s role continues to expand. So far, he has played 88 defensive snaps, which is a little more than 12 percent, and he has taken nearly 64 percent of the special teams work. And that number on defense is about to rise fast.

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Journalist Nicholas McGee said it first on X.

“Curtis Robinson will be the first-team middle linebacker with Tatum Bethune injured.”

And recently, Kyle Shanahan doubled down on it.

Kyle Shanahan names Curtis Robinson as the starter

The Red and Gold are rolling into Monday night with another change in defense. The Faithful already expected adjustments, with Tatum Bethune dealing with an ankle issue, and now head coach Kyle Shanahan has made it official.

Robinson will step in as the starting linebacker against the Panthers. It will also be his first start, which adds even more weight to it. Right after the announcement, Shanahan explained why he trusts Robinson.

“It’s been good that Curtis has been here,” Shanahan said. “Always been practicing for this moment and stuff, but it’s just like when you’re missing a quarterback or center, it’s not just the ability of the guy, but everything runs through that position. The MIKE by far on the defense, getting everyone lined up, getting the adjustments with all the motions, it’s a huge deal, schematically, mentally the challenge of it, but Curtis is the right dude for that.”

That backed up the staff’s belief and set the tone for the week. Meanwhile, Robinson’s recent performance added more confidence.

He posted 5 solo tackles and 7 assists against Arizona, which stood out for a player who mostly worked special teams since joining the 49ers late in 2021. Sunday gave him real defensive work, and he handled the jump well.

Now the stakes get bigger. His 54 snaps against the Cardinals were his most in a Niners uniform. Only time will tell whether Robinson will be able to maximize his start in the next game.