The San Francisco 49ers are signing star linebacker Fred Warner to a three-year, $63 million contract extension, per multiple reports. The deal reportedly includes $56.7 million guaranteed, keeps Warner with the team through 2029, and makes him the NFL's highest-paid linebacker.
This move comes with two years remaining on Warner's current contract. Many anticipated that the team would restructure his contract, as Warner was set to carry a $29.2 million cap hit in 2025 and a $26.7 million cap hit in 2026.
The #49ers and All-Pro LB Fred Warner have agreed to terms on a new 3-year contract extension worth $63M, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
The deal done by Justin Schulman of @AthletesFirst makes Warner, the perennial Pro Bowler, the NFL's highest-paid LB. He gets $56.7M guaranteed. pic.twitter.com/hv8zG4ydce
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 19, 2025
Over the weekend, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reported that the 49ers and Warner were nearing an agreement. Before the 2025 NFL Draft, Warner was asked about his contract status and whether he was confident an extension would be finalized.
"I get paid plenty already," Warner said. "But listen, that whole part of it, I know my agent, and the team, and all that, that'll all handle itself out. I'm just, obviously, ready to just go to work and be the best version of myself."
The 49ers selected Warner (6-3, 230) out of BYU in the third round (No. 70 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He quickly established himself as one of the NFL's premier defensive players on his way to earning first-team All-Pro honors four times and four Pro Bowl selections.
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Despite suffering an ankle injury in Week 4 last season, Warner started all 17 games, tallying 131 tackles (five for a loss), two quarterback hits, one sack, seven passes defensed, two interceptions, one touchdown, and four forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Reference, he played 94% of the team's defensive snaps.
This marks the third major extension the 49ers have finalized this offseason. The team previously secured tight end George Kittle—now the highest-paid player at his position—and agreed to a five-year, $265 million extension for quarterback Brock Purdy, who becomes one of the NFL's highest-paid players overall.
"I think it's obviously worked out really well being able to knock those things out earlier, allowing us to just focus purely on ball and getting better as a team," Warner recently told NBC Sports Bay Area. "So things are moving in the right direction."
Warner, 28, has appeared in 115 games across seven NFL seasons, all starts, and has amassed 897 tackles (36 for a loss), 30 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, 53 passes defensed, 10 interceptions, two touchdowns, and 15 forced fumbles.