SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Curtis Robinson has bigger career aspirations than being a member of the practice squad.
But, for now, his behind-the-scenes role with the NFC West-champion 49ers was enough to keep him from, perhaps, a better individual situation elsewhere.
Members of NFL practice squads essentially are free agents who can sign with any team’s 53-man roster at any time.
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Two weeks ago, the Tennessee Titans offered Robinson a coveted NFL roster spot.
Robinson told NBC Sports Bay Area that he agonized over the decision before opting to remain on the 49ers’ practice squad to finish the season.
“Personally, I put in a lot of work going into this season,” Robinson said. “And as a team and a linebacker group, we put in a lot of work, and I want to see everything we worked toward come to fruition.
“I think we have a really good group, and this is a good run that we’re on. I want to see it through.”
San Francisco 49ers
Robinson's decision to remain with San Francisco highlights the culture general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have nurtured with the organization.
Robinson prioritized the team over his individual goals.
As one of 16 members of the practice squad, Robinson is, in essence, an insurance policy whose main contributions come during the week while practicing against the 49ers' first-team offense.
He currently is behind veteran linebackers Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, as well as rookies Dee Winters and Jalen Graham.
It already has been a long road for Robinson, 25, who originally signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford in 2021.
He played three games with the Broncos as a rookie before getting waived and ending up with the 49ers late that season.
Robinson has seen action in three regular-season games in each of the past three seasons with the 49ers.
The difference between a spot on the practice squad at $12,000 a week and being on the 53-man roster is approximately $40,000. But, clearly, money was not the determining factor for Robinson.
“I haven’t gotten much of a start to my individual career, yet,” he said. “So that opportunity was kind of hard to turn down. But just thinking long term, this organization has treated me really well. I really do love being here.”
Robinson said he agonized over the decision for a while. He liked the idea of becoming teammates again with linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, whom he considered his closest friend on the 49ers before this season. Al-Shaair signed with the Titans as a free agent.
“There are unknowns with everything,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to get up at all for the playoffs here. That’s the hope. But there are a lot of unknowns going into a situation that late in the season.
“Here, I understand what my role is, and I understand what we’re going after. At that point, it was already clear cut that we’re going to the playoffs, and winning is the most important thing for me.”
Robinson said the 49ers gave him no assurances that he will be promoted to the 49ers’ 53-man roster.
It could be that he never plays another snap with the 49ers this season. But the allure of getting a Super Bowl ring was a driving force in his decision.
“We have bigger goals than worrying about getting me on the 53,” Robinson said. “I understand that we’re after something a lot bigger than that. We all have a part in it.
“I yearn for a bigger role some day, but right now I don’t think it’s important enough for me to leave this situation.”