The San Francisco 49ers have been without one of their best players for a while now.
Star linebacker Fred Warner has been out with a fractured right ankle since Week 6, and he’s not expected to be back for the remainder of the campaign. Nevertheless, given some videos on social media and his history of health, some believe he could be back in time for the playoffs. With that in mind, GM Lynch didn’t necessarily shut the door on that.
What Does John Lynch Think of Fred Warner’s Return?
“Fred’s crushing it,” Lynch said on KNBR on Thursday, per Niners insider David Lombardi.
“He’s going to attack everything in his life with the same mentality, which is not waste a minute, focus on what he can control, and that’s working his tail off. I’ve told you all the lengths that Fred goes [through] to be the best he can possibly be. He’s not approaching this any different.”
Lynch knows it’s a long shot, but even though he doesn’t want to make any promises, he’s not going to put his money against one of the greatest players of his generation:
“It’s a stretch to foresee him coming back [for the playoffs], but I don’t put anything past Fred Warner. Our biggest issue is just going to be making sure– he’ll want to, but it’s just like, is it a wise decision for him, for our organization, all those things? We’ll let that transpire, but what Fred will do is not waste a day in doing everything he can to rehab that injury.”
John Lynch on KNBR: “It’s a stretch to foresee him coming back, but I don’t put anything past Fred Warner.”
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 11, 2025
Warner logged a PFSN impact metric of 87.1. While he hasn’t played enough snaps to be eligible, that would be good for the eighth-best in the league this season.
The Niners’ Defense Has Held Its Own Without Warner
Bringing back Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator has worked like a charm for Kyle Shanahan’s team.
MORE: 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft: Jets, Raiders Trade Up for Quarterbacks in Round 1
Despite not having Warner for most of the campaign, the Niners are 9-4 for the season and have had one of the best scoring defenses in the game.
While they rank 19th in total yards given up per game (344.9), they’re only giving up 20.7 points per game, which ranks eighth in the league.
Of course, they would need to keep beating the odds to make a deep postseason run for Warner to even consider making a comeback. But given everything he’s done for the organization, he’s not going to hesitate to get back on the field if he feels healthy enough to play.
