The San Francisco 49ers will be without one of their defensive cornerstones when they take the field Saturday night in the divisional round against the Seattle Seahawks. Linebacker Fred Warner, the heart and soul of the Niners’ defense, won’t be suiting up as he continues to recover from a fractured and dislocated right ankle.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan is sticking to the plan: keep Warner sidelined this week with the goal of getting him ready for the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 25 - assuming the 49ers take care of business against Seattle. It’s a calculated decision, one that speaks to both the severity of Warner’s injury and his value to the team’s long-term playoff hopes.
“We feel confident in that,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see if it works out.”
Warner hasn’t played since Oct. 12, and while he’s made visible progress - including participating in individual drills earlier this week - the team is clearly taking a cautious approach. The four-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro linebacker has been working through practices on a limited basis, logging reps on Tuesday and Wednesday before being held out on Thursday. Warner himself told reporters he's taking it “day by day” and hadn’t fully closed the door on playing this weekend, but the 49ers are opting to play the long game.
And it’s hard to blame them. Warner is more than just a stat sheet filler - though his numbers are impressive, with 948 tackles, 17 forced fumbles, 10 sacks and 10 interceptions in 121 career starts since being drafted in the third round back in 2018.
He’s the quarterback of the defense, a tone-setter, and one of the smartest players on the field every snap. Rushing him back too soon could jeopardize not only his health but the team’s chances deeper into the postseason.
In Warner’s absence, veteran Eric Kendricks has stepped in at middle linebacker, getting the call-up from the practice squad ahead of last week’s wild-card win over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers edged out a 23-19 victory in that one, and while the defense held its own, there's no denying Warner’s presence was missed - especially against a mobile quarterback and a physical run game.
San Francisco will also be down a few other key players on Saturday. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown has been ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered in the win over Philly. Linebackers Luke Gifford (quadriceps) and Dee Winters (ankle), along with wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring), are all listed as questionable.
Injuries are part of the playoff grind, and the 49ers are no strangers to navigating adversity. But make no mistake - getting Fred Warner back for the next round would be a massive boost.
For now, they’ll have to get through the Seahawks without their defensive anchor. If they do, reinforcements could be on the way.