Fred Warner hasn’t suited up much this season - just six games after suffering a dislocated and fractured ankle derailed his 2025 campaign - but the 49ers’ All-Pro linebacker is still making noise off the field. And recently, he took a not-so-subtle jab at a familiar foe: the Dallas Cowboys.
Appearing on the St. Brown Brothers Podcast, Warner found himself in a spirited debate with Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St.
Brown about which NFL division reigns supreme. But the conversation quickly shifted to rivalries, and when Equanimeous St.
Brown asked if the 49ers consider the Cowboys a true rival, Warner didn’t hesitate.
His response? “A rivalry can’t be one-sided.”
That’s when Warner dropped the mic: he’s never lost to the Cowboys - not in the regular season, not in the playoffs.
Now, to be fair, that’s not entirely true. Warner did lose his first matchup against Dallas back in 2020.
But since then? It’s been all Niners.
San Francisco has taken the last four meetings - two in the regular season, two in the postseason - and done so with authority. So while Warner’s claim isn’t technically spotless, there’s no denying the recent dominance.
And that’s exactly his point.
The Cowboys-49ers rivalry is one of the NFL’s most storied. These two franchises have collided in some of the league’s biggest moments - from the NFC Championships of the early 1970s and 1980s to the trilogy from 1992 to 1994 that helped define an era. In total, they’ve met nine times in the playoffs, and the all-time series is tight: 21-19-1 in favor of the 49ers.
But rivalries, as Warner pointed out, are built on competition - not just history.
You can’t have a rivalry if one side keeps getting punched in the mouth.
That’s not to say Warner doesn’t respect the tradition. In fact, he admitted he grew up a Cowboys fan.
He knows what this matchup means to both fanbases. He knows the weight of the logos, the legacy of the games, the legends who’ve worn those uniforms.
But he’s also living in the present - and right now, the 49ers have bragging rights.
And they’ve earned them.
For Dallas, it’s another bitter pill to swallow after a season that ended short of expectations. Watching the Super Bowl from home stings.
Watching the 49ers - again - hold the upper hand? That cuts deeper.
If the Cowboys want to keep this rivalry alive - truly alive - they’ve got to start winning again. That means a big offseason ahead. That means retooling, refocusing, and putting a team on the field that can finally push back against a San Francisco squad that’s had their number.
Because history only carries so much weight. Rivalries are about now. And right now, Warner and the 49ers are holding the scoreboard.