San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner recorded a game-high 11 tackles last week against the Los Angeles Rams, bringing his career total to 959, according to Pro Football Reference. That moved him past Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who finished his career with 950 tackles, for the 49ers' franchise record.

Willis had an opportunity to congratulate Warner in person on Wednesday when he attended the 49ers' practice. Speaking on Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday morning, Willis shared his thoughts on passing the torch to Warner.


"It's always awesome to have a record, set a record, but records are made to be broken," Willis said.

However, Willis noted one difference in how the two linebackers reached the record.

"I think he did it in nine years," Willis said. "I was able to do it in eight, but respect to Fred and what he broke."

Warner needed 122 games to reach his current tackle total, while Willis played 112 games during his career. Still, the Hall of Fame linebacker remains a big fan of Warner and everything he has accomplished during his equally impressive career.

"It's love, man," Willis continued. "I shot him a text the day of the game—after the game, obviously—and told him congratulations before he took off on the plane.


"And then, actually yesterday, after practice, I had a moment to just congratulate him and tell him, 'Keep up the work. Keep doing what you're doing.'"

Warner has an opportunity to add to his 49ers tackle record with 16 regular-season games remaining. The All-Pro linebacker hopes to play for several more years, giving him plenty of opportunities to continue building on a franchise record that once belonged to Willis.

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