Fred Warner's absence from the second half of Sunday's game against the New England Patriots was not a result of the San Francisco 49ers holding a comfortable lead. The star linebacker attempted to return to the field after suffering an ankle injury in the first half but ultimately could not.
The good news is that Warner was seen moving around fine on the sideline during the second half of Sunday's game at Levi's Stadium, though he didn't feel comfortable enough to rejoin the defense on the field.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't provide too many specific details about the severity of the team's in-game injuries but mentioned, "I know Fred tried to go, came out in third quarter and tried to go, but didn't feel like he could."
After the game, Warner addressed the injury that kept him sidelined.
"I would have been out there if I could have been," Warner said. "We'll see as we get more information on it. ... If I could have been out there, I would have been. We'll get more information as we go, with scans and all that, but I feel good right now."
Other injury updates
Shanahan was also asked about defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, who exited the game with a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the Week 4 contest. While he didn't offer significant details, he expressed cautious optimism that it wasn't a severe setback.
"I don't think it was an ACL or anything, but it just had some swelling and stuff, so he couldn't go," Shanahan said.
Additionally, tight end George Kittle exited with a rib injury but later returned to the game. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing suffered a shoulder injury but was able to return, while wide receiver Chris Conley experienced an oblique injury but finished the game. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, however, left the field at the end due to a shoulder injury.
