San Francisco All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner has been sidelined after suffering a dislocated and fractured right ankle in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Is there any chance the 49ers star back could return this season after his prospects initially looked bleak following the injury?
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Warner gave a positive update when asked whether he would be able to return to action this season ahead of San Francisco’s crucial Week 17 home game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.
“I have a chance,” Warner said on NBC’s pregame report. “That’s the plan, so we’re going to take this one day at a time. There are a lot of different steps that have to cross the Ts and have to dot the Is to get there, but we’re on the right track.”
During the telecast of the game, NBC stated that Warner’s goal was to return to the NFC Championship Game.
This year’s Super Bowl 60 will be held on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers.
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The NFC and AFC Championship Games will be held on January 25th.
San Francisco, already a lock on a playoff spot, maintained its status as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs on Sunday, but a win would give it a chance to earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
San Francisco took the first step toward victory with a thrilling 42-38 victory over the Bears on Sunday night.
The 49ers regained the lead on Jauan Jennings’ 38-yard touchdown reception with 2:15 left in the game. This was Brock Purdy’s fifth touchdown of the game and his third passing touchdown.
Chicago got off to a early start and had a chance to win, but Caleb Williams’ pass from the second fell incomplete as time expired.
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San Francisco now takes on the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at 6 PM (MST) on ABC and ESPN. The winner will not only be crowned the NFC West champion, but will also receive the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Warner’s positive update confirms reports from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo on Saturday.
Even if Warner is able to participate in the playoffs, he is expected to be a limited participant, the two said.
Rapoport and Garafolo wrote: “Sources with knowledge of Warner’s situation say Warner’s recovery could make it possible for a cameo in the NFC Championship Game if San Francisco plays there, or more likely Super Bowl 60 on February 8, 2026, if it wins the division.”
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“Even then it is likely that it will be on field duty as any early return could put Warner at risk of further injury.”
Warner appeared in two Super Bowls with San Francisco, losing both times to the Kansas City Chiefs.
This week, 49ers general manager John Lynch told KNBR radio that he wouldn’t be surprised if Warner makes a successful return to the field if San Francisco makes a deep playoff run.
“I think it’s something that remains to be seen,” Lynch told the radio station, “but I know he puts his heart and soul into his job every day and tries to do it with an unbelievable work ethic.”
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According to NFL.com, former Brigham Young University standout linebacker Warner underwent surgery on October 14 and is expected to take 4-6 months to recover.
This is the first serious injury in Warner’s career. Since entering the league as a third-round draft pick in 2018, he has only missed one game due to injury, and that was in 2021. He missed one game last season with a broken ankle.
If Warner were to return at some point during the postseason, his recovery time would be at the shortest end of the recovery window.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Warner recently told The Ryan Russillo Show .
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“God had a plan. I told everyone, and when I was taken away, they felt sorry for me — like, ‘I’m going to do it.'”