Dee Winters Shines in 49ers Win Over Seahawks

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Dee Winters had an impressive performance in the San Francisco 49ers‘ 17-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday.

At one time, Fred Warner, a veteran linebacker, doubted the chances of Winters, a third-year player, to succeed in the league. “It’s been a huge, huge improvement,” Warner said Wednesday. “I remember when Dee came in as a rookie, and during OTAs and rookie minicamp, I thought, ‘Boy, I don’t know if he’s got a chance.’ But he has shown me that you can’t judge a rookie by first impressions.”

Winters sat behind Warner and Dre Greenlaw in the depth chart during the previous season and didn’t earn his first starting position until Week 5. Injuries affected his progress, but following a healthy offseason, he has started to display his skills.

During the game against the Seahawks, Winters achieved the highest coverage grade of any linebacker on the team, allowing only four receptions on four targets for a mere 20 yards. Additionally, he recorded seven solo tackles and a quarterback pressure. Warner praised Winters’ contributions saying, “It was amazing to see. I’m not surprised at all. He earned that moment to go out there and make a lot of plays for us.”

Warner emphasized the importance of Winters’ role, stating, “We are going to need him in a big way going forward. He knows he doesn’t need to do anything beyond his job or assignment. Just go out there and be relentless every single play.”

Warner also expressed that Winters’ journey has taught him an important lesson about rookie players. “Sometimes it takes a little longer to figure it out, and he’s figured it out in a big way,” said Warner. “He only continues to get better, and we are just scratching the surface.”