The San Francisco 49ers placed linebacker Nick Martin (concussion) on injured reserve on Saturday, a roster move that effectively puts his availability for the rest of the regular season in doubt.
Here’s the hard part for San Francisco: under current NFL rules, a player moved to IR must miss at least four games before he can return, meaning Martin can’t be back during the final three weeks of the regular season and would only have a path back if the 49ers are playing into January.
“If you have a headache or standing up and you get dizz, I’m not getting in particulars with him, but lighe could hurt you randomly one time, and once that happens and then it’s a step back,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told The Athletic.
49ers Put Nick Martin on IR as Concussion Lingers
Matt Barrows of The Athletic reported the move Saturday after Martin’s concussion originally occurred on November 30 at Cleveland.
Martin was injured early in that Browns game, and the issue has lingered long enough that the 49ers decided they needed the roster flexibility ahead of Week 16.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also indicated earlier this week that Martin was still in concussion protocol.
Key details:
- Move: Nick Martin placed on IR (concussion)
- Injury date/location: November 30 at Cleveland
- Minimum missed time on IR: 4 games (so, regular-season return is impossible)
- Next game: at Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football (December 22)
Why This IR Move Matters Right Now
The timing is what makes this a real “pressure” move for San Francisco: the 49ers are heading into a Monday night road game with postseason stakes, and the linebacker room has been a rotating storyline most of the season.
This will create space on the 49ers roster. The 49ers get an open spot, but Martin’s return timetable becomes complicated because of the four-game minimum and the calendar.
In other words, even if he starts feeling better soon, this isn’t a week-to-week listing anymore.
What It Means for the 49ers’ Depth
Martin’s role this season has skewed heavily toward special teams. CBS Sports noted he logged 74 special teams snaps compared to 15 defensive snaps across seven appearances, so the ripple effect is likely felt first in kicking-game roles and depth, not necessarily in the base defense.
But the 49ers have been cycling linebackers in and out of availability, and Shanahan referenced multiple front-seven health situations in recent media sessions as San Francisco pushes toward the finish line.
If the 49ers want Martin back for a postseason run, the next “serial” checkpoint becomes whether the team eventually chooses to designate him to return, and how his concussion recovery progresses over the next couple weeks.
Martin’s IR stint also matters because of where the 49ers drafted him. San Francisco took the Oklahoma State linebacker No. 75 overall in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, a slot where teams typically expect a rookie to contribute on special teams right away and potentially grow into a defensive depth role. That’s largely how he was used this season. Putting him on IR now opens a roster spot, but it also triggers the four-game minimum, making a regular-season return essentially impossible and emphasizing that his concussion symptoms have lingered.
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