Rookie linebacker Fred Warner is just a couple of days away from both his first NFL game and his first start in the league. San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Friday about the decision to put Warner at the all-important MIKE linebacker spot as opposed to an experienced veteran like Brock Coyle.
"We felt Fred earned that spot," Shanahan said. "We thought he played at a very high level throughout the practices and the games that he got in on. So did Reuben (Foster) last year. But, we thought he was better at the other spot, not doing the communication.
"Fred, it hasn't slowed down. He's been good with it and since he earned it physically and it didn't slow him down from a mental aspect. It was a pretty easy decision."
Shanahan was asked what he learned about Warner that would prompt the head coach to put the linebacker in such an important defensive position.
"Just how he's been since he's gotten here," Shanahan answered. "On tape, he seemed like a very smart player. We met him at the combine, brought him in here and just the way he handled himself, it was pretty obvious that he was a very poised person. Since he's gotten here, nothing has been too big for him.
"You get around a lot of guys, people can be very intelligent, but you can still get overwhelmed in the heat of battle and stuff. Fred's been the same guy every day. Nothing is too big, nothing is too small, and he's been very steady, and that's what's going to give him a chance to be successful."
The 49ers will likely be without Malcolm Smith, who was slated to start at the WILL linebacker spot. A hamstring injury has limited him during the week's worth of practices, and he is listed as doubtful on the team's official injury report for Sunday's game.
While the chances of Smith playing in Minnesota are slim, Shanahan said the linebacker still has a couple of days to prove he is healthy.
"He's still got two more days to do it, so that's why we're not going to rule him out, but he's not there yet," Shanahan said.
The 49ers and Vikings kick off the regular season at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday at 10 a.m. PT (12 p.m. CT).
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