When the San Francisco 49ers lost their star linebacker Fred Warner to a brutal ankle injury, it was fair to worry the defense would be abysmal the rest of the season.
That has not been the case, and a large part of it has to do with the success of Warner's replacement, Tatum Bethune.
To be clear, Bethune is no Warner. Then again, no player is. What Warner brings to the table with his play and as an emotional leader is simply unmatched.
But Bethune has still done a nice job of filling in.
Since being thrust into the starting middle linebacker role, Bethune has recorded 10 tackles or more in each game he has started. From his first start in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons when San Francisco's defense limited Atlanta to just 10 points, he has shown that the defense can, at the very least, survive without Warner.
In Week 9 against the New York Giants, Bethune even eclipsed Warner's career-high for total tackles in a single game, so he has shown that he is more than capable of holding down the fort.
Bethune is going to have to continue to hold down the fort for the rest of this season, but what does his success mean for the Niners at linebacker going forward?
Tatum Bethune might just be ideal 49ers trade bait this offseason
Warner is going to be back next season, which would likely relegate Bethune to bench duties again, unless they tried to play him at weak-side linebacker, which is where Dee Winters has been at this point.
That's one option, or the 49ers could try to trade Bethune to a team in need of a middle linebacker to help lead their defense. It remains to be seen what the Niners could get for him, but if they got a mid-round draft pick or maybe an edge rusher to provde more depth in an area they have been decimated, that could be a decent return.
Of course, there is also an argument to be made for the Niners trying to retain as much depth as they possibly can, given their perennial injury issues. Perhaps trading away depth would not be the wisest strategy after what they have endured so far this season.
Still, trading Bethune is a legitimate option, given the success he's had filling in for Warner. They could at least get something for him rather than watch him walk in free agency eventually.