What happened to Fred Warner? 49ers LB reveals suffering major blow against Patriots
The San Francisco 49ers' Fred Warner is one of the best linebackers in the NFL today. While not exactly the crowd-pleasing sack machine that the likes of Myles Garrett, TJ Watt, and his teammate Nick Bosa are, he has been one of the best at stopping plays, especially runs.
But in 2024, his Niners have not exactly been playing to Super Bowl-worthy standards. To be fair, they have been dealing with injuries, especially to star running back Christian McCaffrey, who returned only recently.
And on Wednesday, ahead of the team's visit to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Fred Warner revealed that he had also been playing hurt - having broken his ankle against the New England Patriots in Week 4 and needing painkillers since then:
"It's something I deal with every game. I get on that table before every game and get it shot up just to be able to roll. But it's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there, you've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level, and to win every single week."
When asked whether the bone would fully heal within the season, he called the notion unlikely:
"Any time you fracture a bone, if you just continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself. So, just got to continue to just fight through."
Fred Warner still playing at "high level" despite missed tackles, says HC Kyle Shanahan
The aforementioned injury may have contributed to Fred Warner's recent struggles, particularly in the 49ers' 38-10 loss at the Green Bay Packers. There, the multiple-time Pro Bowler missed four tackles and allowed Packers RB Josh Jacobs to cover 106 yards and score three touchdowns on 26 carries.
Still, head coach Kyle Shanahan has faith in him, saying after the game:
“I still think Fred is the man,” Shanahan told reporters Monday, per NBC Bay Area. “I think Fred is playing at a high level... Obviously he can do better. But Fred is still playing like one of the best linebackers in the league. I know he's got a real high standard, so when he has something like that, it's going to stick out.”
The 49ers-Bills game kicks off at 8:20 PM ET on NBC.