- May 21, 2026
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San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner is fully cleared and ready to go after a gruesome injury that ended his 2025 season. He's grateful for that.
Warner, who broke and dislocated his ankle in a Week Six game against the Buccaneers, said he has always had the philosophy that players should treat every game like it could be their last, but he came face-to-face with the real possibility of that when he saw how badly his ankle had been mangled by a teammate running into him while he spun away from a block.
“I remembered telling guys to appreciate every game, practice and single play because you never know when it could be your last,” Warner told Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com. “That’s why I bring so much juice and positive energy to games and practices and meetings.”
Warner said he viewed this setback the same way he has viewed every setback.
“I always believed strongly that everything happens for a reason,” he said. “And it would be wrong to abandon that in the toughest times.”
Given how serious the injury was, it's remarkable that Warner was fully cleared for the offseason program. But he's used to defying expectations.
“I’m just so grateful to be in the NFL that I’ve got to pinch myself every day,” Warner says. “If you knew the kid, Fred Warner, from San Marcos, California, little old Fred Warner, nobody thought he would be where I’m at."
Warner, who broke and dislocated his ankle in a Week Six game against the Buccaneers, said he has always had the philosophy that players should treat every game like it could be their last, but he came face-to-face with the real possibility of that when he saw how badly his ankle had been mangled by a teammate running into him while he spun away from a block.
“I remembered telling guys to appreciate every game, practice and single play because you never know when it could be your last,” Warner told Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com. “That’s why I bring so much juice and positive energy to games and practices and meetings.”
Warner said he viewed this setback the same way he has viewed every setback.
“I always believed strongly that everything happens for a reason,” he said. “And it would be wrong to abandon that in the toughest times.”
Given how serious the injury was, it's remarkable that Warner was fully cleared for the offseason program. But he's used to defying expectations.
“I’m just so grateful to be in the NFL that I’ve got to pinch myself every day,” Warner says. “If you knew the kid, Fred Warner, from San Marcos, California, little old Fred Warner, nobody thought he would be where I’m at."