Fred Warner didn’t just come back for the San Francisco 49ers’ season opener. He put his stamp on it.
In a road game that was anything but ordinary - the 49ers opened the season in Australia, where fans couldn’t exactly drive to the stadium - San Francisco rolled past the Los Angeles Rams, 27-7. The result landed as a surprise to plenty of observers, especially with the Rams drawing so much offseason attention for their Super Bowl ceiling.
The loudest presence on the field belonged to the 49ers defense, and Warner was right at the center of it.
Julian Ojeda of Clutch Points pointed to the linebacker’s return as a major reason San Francisco looked so sharp. Warner played in only six games last season after suffering a fractured and dislocated right ankle, finishing with 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, three passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery before the injury ended his year.
That short season stood out for all the wrong reasons for a player who had been one of the NFL’s most dependable tacklers. Before 2025, Warner had never ended a full season with fewer than 118 tackles since the 49ers took him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Against the Rams, he wasted no time reminding everyone what San Francisco had been missing. Warner piled up 11 tackles and forced a fumble, pushing his career total to 18. That kind of impact helped the 49ers dictate the game from start to finish.
His range, his ability to take the ball away and his control of the middle of the defense make him more than just another star on the roster. He’s the kind of player who can shift the entire ceiling of a unit, and after missing most of last season, his return already looks huge for a 49ers team with postseason aspirations.
Of course, Week 1 can be tricky to judge. Opening wins often turn out to be outliers, and this one came in a setting that made preparation unlike any other game either team will play this year.
Even so, the opener said something clear: for now, Warner and the 49ers handled the change better than the Rams did. The challenge now is turning that first statement into momentum.
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For San Francisco, the number is impressive, but it also comes with the familiar Shanahan caveat. The offense is built around timing, rhythm and short throws, so Purdy's accuracy is part of the system as much as it is a reflection of the quarterback himself, which is exactly why the conversation around him never stays simple for long. [Read more 🡒]