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During this offseason, San Francisco 49ers linebacker
Fred Warner hasn't been afraid to trash talk his teammates, which has even led to a training camp fight between himself and
Brandon Aiyuk.
Warner, one of the vocal leaders on the 49ers' defense, was asked about his choices with his teammates, adding that getting the best out of his peers will only make him better.
"Whatever I can do to help get the most out of my teammates, that's only going to make me better at the end of the day. The more I'm out there talking noise [and] challenging, I have no choice but to be at the top of my game because I'm over there talking all that noise and I'm performing, then it's just talk. You have to back that up with performance [and] execution and I just take a lot of pride in it."
However, Warner believes that trash-talking comes naturally to him as it allows him to encapsulate the truest form of himself, which is the part he likes most about football.
"No, it's natural [to just trash talking go after guys]. You got to be yourself at the end of the day. I never go out there and try do too much other than trying [to be] myself. Whatever you see out there on the field, that's the truest me. I think that's the greatest thing about football, you go out there [and] be the truest form of yourself," Warner said." It's a physical [and] aggressive game, and you just get to let it all out when you're out there."
Warner, who was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, has clearly outperformed his draft-day expectations, making both an All-Pro and a Pro Bowl already.
While Warner believes that he could've been drafted higher, the 25-year-old linebacker is grateful for his landing spot, as the 49ers allowed him to grow into the player he is today.
"Do I think I could've been drafted higher? I guess. But, at the end of the day, I would never have wanted to be drafted anywhere but here. When I came out of little BYU, I was not the Fred Warner you see today. I was somebody that had to be molded and grow in a system for 4-5 years in order to become who I am," Warner said. "I'm super grateful to be drafted to the 49ers under a great coaching staff [with] players who have helped me grow, and I would never take any of that back. I do keep a chip on my shoulder [about] all the things that were said about me coming out, but other than that, I'm super grateful where I was chosen."
Warner was thrust into the spotlight immediately, being a starter in Year 1, but acknowledged that he wasn't at a high level originally.
"Some of it is just opportunity presents itself and you just got to be ready for the moment. They knew I could handle a lot in terms of just the mental side of the game and I had enough physical capability to be out there and run the defense, but I wasn't close to where I needed to be in terms of playing at a high level. That took a lot of growth and development."
Now, Warner, heading into his fifth NFL season, and the 49ers' defense will face their first test of the 2022 NFL season on Sunday when San Francisco plays against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, where the team will look to start the year strong for a second straight year.
The news of Arik Armstead's departure from the San Francisco 49ers after nine seasons with the team shocked linebacker Fred Warner. Armstead, a former first-round pick, was an impactful force on the football field. However, his availability over the last two seasons forced the 49ers to reevaluate his contract, and when his salary could not be significantly reduced, the two sides parted ways.
"Huge surprise," Warner said of learning that Armstead was being released. "Ever since I've been here, we called him the blueprint for how to be a Niner. That was the longest-tenured Niner that's been here and a guy that's done it right through and through."
Warner has been in the NFL long enough to understand how the league works. Over the years, he's watched several
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
