The New England Patriots went to San Francisco without tight end Rob Gronkowski because he’s injured. They went there without defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard because they currently don’t think he’s very good.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Sheard was left behind for performance reasons.
The New England defense has struggled of late, particularly in the front seven. The situation has prompted criticism of coach Bill Belichick for his decisions to trade Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins.
As noted after Sunday night’s loss to the Seahawks, Sheard had been more scarce recently, with the Patriots taking a longer look at Trey Flowers, a fourth-round pick in 2015.