SANTA CLARA \u2014 The 49ers head into their Week 12 matchup with the Carolina Panthers without a few players.<\/p>\n
Tatum Bethune<\/a>, who suffered an ankle injury<\/a> in the team’s 41-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals, will miss multiple weeks. The linebacker was seen in the locker room on Thursday still wearing a walking boot but able to put weight on his injured right foot.<\/p>\n Curtis Robinson<\/a>, who took over for Bethune on Sunday, will resume the \u201cquarterback role\u201d on the defense, wearing the green dot and receiving the calls from defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Coach Kyle Shanahan believes Robinson has already filled in admirably.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been good that Curtis has been here,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cAlways been practicing for this moment, but it\u2019a just like when you\u2019re missing a quarterback or a center. It\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a huge deal, schematically, mentally, the challenge of it, but Curtis is the right dude for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Rookie linebacker Nick Martin<\/a> also could see a slight uptick in snap counts on game day. The Oklahoma State product was on the field for 14 defensive plays and 11 on special teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he did a real good job,\u201d Shanahan said. \u201cI thought he ran and tackled very well. Really had just one mistake in the pass game, giving up just a seven cut behind him. I think he had 14 plays, but 13 of them were real good.\u201d<\/p>\n Also out for multiple weeks is kicker Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro<\/a>, who suffered a hamstring injury<\/a> in Arizona during a point-after-touchdown attempt. The 49ers signed kicker Matt Gay to the practice squad<\/a> to take over until Pi\u00f1eiro is healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHis experience,\u201d Shanahan said of why the team signed Gay over the other kickers who came in for a workout. \u201cHe\u2019s had a lot of success in this League and looked real good during our workout.\u201d<\/p>\n