San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner began the season looking like a strong contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. However, his performance has dipped in recent weeks, and the All-Pro defender clarified why on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters before practice, Warner revealed that he suffered a fractured bone and a sprain in his ankle on September 29 during the 49ers' Week 4 matchup against the New England Patriots.
#49ers LB Fred Warner says he fractured a bone in his ankle in Patriots game. He's been playing through the injury since.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) November 27, 2024
"I probably shouldn't get too much into it," Warner said. "I probably already made a mistake by saying all of this, but yeah, back when I hurt it, there was a bone fracture there."
Despite the injury, Warner has continued to play, relying on painkiller injections to manage the pain.
"It's something I deal with every game," Warner said. "I get on that table before the game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. It's not an excuse. It's just what it is. That's the NFL. You're not going to be healthy. You've got to go out there. You've got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level, and to win every single week."
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Warner acknowledged the challenges of playing on the injury, noting that the fracture has been unable to heal due to his continued workload.
"It was a fracture when I sprained it," Warner explained. "So anytime you fracture a bone, if you just continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself. So, just got to continue to just fight through."
Warner's performance has noticeably declined since the injury. According to Pro Football Focus, he earned grades of 92.6 or higher in three of the 49ers' first four games this season.
Those marks have steadily dropped. During Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers, Warner missed a season-high four tackles, the most he's committed in a single contest since Week 3 of his rookie season in 2018.
Warner remains committed to contributing to the 49ers' efforts to salvage their disappointing season. The team is 5-6 heading into Sunday's crucial matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
"All the confidence in the world, with the players that we have, the pedigree that we have, we have everything that we need in order to make this run," Warner concluded.