The San Francisco 49ers suffered a devastating setback on Sunday—and it wasn't just the defeat against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which dropped their record to 4-2. The team also lost the heart and soul of its defense, Fred Warner, who exited early with a dislocated and fractured right ankle. The star linebacker has been ruled out for the season, leaving a massive void on San Francisco's defense.
With injuries piling up, it's no surprise that the 49ers have slipped in the latest NFL power rankings.
Despite still holding the top spot in the NFC West, San Francisco faces increased pressure. Both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks share the same 4-2 record, putting the division race on even ground. The 49ers will need to overcome adversity and adjust quickly if they want to maintain control in one of the NFL's most competitive divisions.
Up next, the 49ers return home to host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7—a pivotal matchup as they look to bounce back. The good news: the team could be getting a few reinforcements, with quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall having a chance to return.
How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 3
Previous Ranking: 1
"The 49ers have worked on surviving through plenty of offensive injuries and losing Nick Bosa from the pass rush. Fred Warner might be the hardest player to replace for his intangibles and the defense did fall apart without him in Tampa." — Vinnie Iyer
ESPN
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 6
"The Niners looked destined to lose at some point in all six of their games, yet they found a way to win four of them. That's a credit to coach Kyle Shanahan and his staff, as well as the veteran leaders charged with setting a standard. But the 49ers have again been ravaged by injury, losing star defensive end Nick Bosa (knee) and linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) for the season in addition to other injuries to key players. Resilience is an important trait for any NFL team, but eventually talent trumps intangibles. That means things are only going to get more difficult for San Francisco." — Nick Wagoner
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 6
"Plenty of fantasy players were afraid of drafting McCaffrey because of his injury history. It turns out he's the only 49er who hasn't been hurt this season. On Sunday, the latest to go down was star middle linebacker Fred Warner, who dislocated his ankle and is out for the season. Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Nick Bosa were already out. McCaffrey is back, though. He is second in the league in fantasy scoring (24.67) after registering 111 yards and a touchdown Sunday." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 5
"The Niners might own a 4-2 record, but it's hard not to be despondent about the team's chances after the roster suffered yet another devastating injury. Linebacker Fred Warner left Sunday's contest with a season-ending dislocated ankle. Warner is the game's best off-ball linebacker. He's the beating heart of San Francisco's defense. San Francisco already lost their best defensive lineman when Nick Bosa went down with a torn ACL. Eventually, fellow stars Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are expected back after nursing injuries. However, the loss of two major defensive pieces may be too much to handle when talking about those who are legitimate difference-makers. The Niners can't adequately replace either and shouldn't be expected to do so." — Brent Sobleski
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 11
"If you ever needed proof that no one on NFL Twitter knows how to be normal, the Mac Jones discourse in the days between San Francisco's win against the Rams in Week 5 and the first half of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers provided it. Far too many people were asking whether Jones could be just as good for the 49ers offense as Brock Purdy has been, simply because he was throwing for similar yardage. While Jones has been an excellent backup for Purdy, his turnovers and sacks in Sunday's loss made it clear that this offense needs Purdy back healthy—and soon." — Diante Lee
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 14
Previous Ranking: 6
"A stunning and incredible eagle-eye observation from 49ers reporter Cam Inman: On the play that Fred Warner was injured, the 49ers only had 10 players on the field and were missing a defensive lineman. The Buccaneers ran right at the missing lineman." — Conor Orr
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 9
"How much more can they take? They lost linebacker Fred Warner, the heart of their defense, in the loss to Tampa Bay. He's gone for the year, joining edge star Nick Bosa, which really dampens their playoff hopes." — Pete Prisco
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 15
Previous Ranking: 13
"The hits keep coming. Fred Warner, who had previously only missed one game in his career, is now out for the season after suffering a dislocated and broken ankle in Sunday's hard-fought loss to the Bucs. His absence was felt, too; with Warner off the field, Tampa Bay scored on three straight drives in the second and third quarters, when the game slipped away from San Francisco. The 49ers are without several key players on offense, and now the team's two best defenders (Warner and Nick Bosa) are done for the year. Simply unreal. A battered Mac Jones did his best to keep his squad in it, but a dormant rushing attack and an inability to finish drives hurt. The loss dropped the Niners into a three-way tie atop the NFC West. They're hanging on, but the struggle is taking a toll." — Eric Edholm
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 16
Previous Ranking: 7
"Fred Warner's injury could be the one that sparks the slide." — Mike Florio
USA Today
Current Ranking: 16
Previous Ranking: 7
"We know, they're still in first place with a sweep in the bag after going through the division once. But how is an already middling defense going to survive the losses of Nick Bosa and Fred Warner?" — Nate Davis
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 16
Previous Ranking: 9
"It might be unfair to rank the 49ers this low, but the injury to linebacker Fred Warner is a bad one. The defense might really struggle without Warner and Nick Bosa. The offense will be fine no matter who is playing on that side. The defense is an issue that could derail the season." — Frank Schwab