Warner surpassed Willis' mark while facing the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia. He recorded three tackles by the second quarter, giving him 951 career tackles and making him the 49ers' all-time leader in the category.
Willis played eight NFL seasons, all with San Francisco, while Warner is in his ninth NFL season. Warner is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he was limited to six games after suffering a dislocated and fractured right ankle. He finished the season with 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
Before his injury-shortened 2025 season, Warner had never finished an NFL season with fewer than 118 tackles. He has established himself as one of the NFL's premier linebackers since the 49ers selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
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