In the offseason, Fred Warner, who was coming off his best season in which he earned All-Pro honors, signed a 5-year, $95 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming the then-highest paid middle linebacker in the NFL—before Darius Leonard trumped him literally one week after.
Warner has taken a step back in the spotlight this season in the 49ers linebacker corps, as 2018 undrafted free agent Azeez Al-Shaair has risen up the ranks following Dre Greenlaw's groin injury in Week 1, and has taken off.
Still, Warner, who's just 25 years old, has remained an integral piece for the 49ers, serving as the vocal leader in the middle of San Francisco's defense.
Earlier today, the Pro-Bowl linebacker called in to The Jim Rome Show, where he set the record straight about the 49ers locker room and how the team is feeling heading into the final stretch of the 17-game season.
Remember the post-game video following San Francisco's much-needed win against the Chicago Bears to snap a four-game losing streak?
Kyle Shanahan's expletive-laden speech to his team was followed by a shower of happiness when the hometown kid Jimmy Garoppolo got the game ball, showing the confidence that the locker room had in him, despite the talk in the media surrounding his flaws.
"I think all the talk outside the building [about Garoppolo] is one thing," Warner told Jim Rome. "People are going to say whatever they want, and that's just how it goes for all life and eternity in football. I think, inside the building, he's our guy. He's the one who led us on that drive to end the game this past week. He continues to show up as a player and as a leader for this team. We have full belief and confidence in him. He's been doing a great job, just an outstanding year, and he's going to continue to be better and better for us as we get towards the end of the season."
Garoppolo led a perfect 6-for-6 overtime drive when his team needed him to win the game Sunday in a dogfight against the Cincinnati Bengals, propelling them to 7-6 on the season and the NFC's 6th seed.
But, much of the magic on offense wouldn't have happened without George Kittle, who became the first tight end in NFL history to have back-to-back 150-yard, one touchdown performances following his 13-catch, 151-yard, one touchdown performance Sunday.
While on the show, Fred Warner raved about his star teammate and how his practice mentality has continued to come out on game days, which is why he's such a talented football player.
"It's insane. The dude works his tail off day in and day out," Warner said. "You see those crazy plays he makes in games but it's routine in practice. I knew he was going to have a huge game because it's the way practice is. And that's just how it's been the last few weeks. He's on a whole other level right now. That's who he is, though, and it's not something that's a surprise to anyone in the building. The route-running, the explosiveness, the griminess in the trenches, blocking—he's done it all this season, and he's coming alive exactly when we need him to."
After the game, Kittle said that he experienced "excessive soreness", which may have resulted from a high pass that Jimmy Garoppolo threw with 7:36 remaining in the 4th quarter. Kittle was seen limping on following plays, but ended up finishing the game, which included a spectacular 19-yard catch near the end of regulation.
Alongside Kittle, San Francisco's ultimate gadget weapon, Deebo Samuel, made his return to the field Sunday while nursing a groin injury of his own, and was essentially a running back, as he rushed eight times, scoring a touchdown, while only having one catch in the pass game.
Still, the threat that Samuel poses as a runner and receiver makes him such a dangerous player for San Francisco, which Warner appreciates, as Samuel's been the "tone-setter" on offense for the 49ers in his third NFL season.
"You see how many ways we're using him as a weapon on offense," Warner said. "I mean, there's a couple of games in there where we had to throw him in as a returner because he's just such a weapon for us that we want to put him in positions to help the team win games. But I say the exact same thing [as what I said about Kittle]. You see the guy working his tail off in practice, and it translates to games. He is the tone-setter out there for us on offense in all different types of ways—running the football, catching it, all types of things. He's having a heck of a year."
During Sunday's game, Warner went down with an apparent ankle injury, which Kyle Shanahan revealed to be a minor sprain, but played in every defensive snap. Despite the sprain, Shanahan does not expect Warner to miss any time, which is great news for the 49ers, who have a matchup with the 6-7 Falcons at home this Sunday.
Despite the injury concerns with all three players, they're all expected to suit up against the Falcons, putting San Francisco in a favorable position to build off their momentum and push forward in the NFC playoff race.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Warner below.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
