San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner will now have additional time to fully recover from the dislocated and fractured right ankle he suffered just three months ago. There had been optimism that Warner could return as soon as next week if the 49ers advanced to the NFC Championship Game. Instead, San Francisco's season came to an abrupt and humbling end with a 41-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

"It sucks," Warner told reporters after the game. "I feel bad for the guys who are out there, battling, because, of course, you never want it to go that way. But I'm so proud of how everybody fought all the way through to this point."


Warner initially planned to watch the playoff matchup from a suite, but once the game began to unravel early, the All-Pro linebacker decided being away from the field wasn't the right choice.

"I was back and forth on it pregame—if I wanted to watch from the top or be on the field," Warner said. "I think they wanted me to be in the box to try to stay off my feet to ultimately, if we won, to give myself an opportunity to work into next week.

"But as soon as that first quarter happened, I said there was no way I was going to not be on the field to help."

The 49ers opened Warner's practice window earlier in the week, and he participated in Wednesday's on-field work before ultimately being ruled out against Seattle. Warner said returning to practice felt encouraging and believed the limited workload could have helped prepare him for an expanded role next week—had the season continued.

That opportunity is now off the table. With San Francisco's season over, Warner will have extended time to focus on his recovery and adjust his rehab plan heading into the offseason.


When asked whether he expects to be ready for training camp, Warner didn't hesitate.

"A thousand percent," he said.

Warner acknowledged that the possibility of rejoining his teammates for a Super Bowl push fueled his aggressive recovery timeline.

"I truly just wanted to try to win a Super Bowl," Warner said. "That's my only goal every single year. And so I felt like, if I was in a good enough spot to help the team do that and achieve that, then that was the only reason for me coming back. It had nothing to do with anything else. That was my main focus."

Now entering the offseason, Warner said he has gained perspective from a season spent largely away from the field.


"I've lived my life saying everything happens for a reason," Warner said. "Even when I got injured, I said that it was for a reason. Had we won, and I was given that opportunity, it would have felt right—and it just wasn't meant to be."

Asked what the experience of missing significant time taught him, Warner offered a candid response.

"That I do not plan on retiring anytime soon, because that was about as close to the feeling you're going to get of being away from the game," Warner said.

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