The San Francisco 49ers have moved past their victory over the Los Angeles Rams exactly one week ago.
However, it’s still hard not to gloss over the performance veteran linebacker Fred Warner had. He recorded 11 tackles and a forced fumble and ultimately became the all-time tackles leader in 49ers franchise history, surpassing the great Patrick Willis.
Willis Reacts to Warner Breaking His Record
On Thursday, ahead of the 49ers’ Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins this weekend, Willis appeared on KNBR. He made a strong statement about Warner breaking his record and revealed what he told the star linebacker.
“It’s one of those things that it’s always awesome to set a record, but records are meant to be broken,” Willis said. “I think he did it in 9 years and I was able to do it in 8, but respect to Fred. It’s love and I shot him a text after the game and told him congratulations. Yesterday after practice I had a moment just to congratulate him and tell him to keep up the good work and keep doing what you’re doing.”
Patrick Willis on Fred Warner breaking his record for most tackles in franchise history:
“It’s one of those things that it’s always awesome to set a record, but records are meant to be broken. I think he did it in 9 years and I was able to do it in 8, but respect to Fred. It’s… pic.twitter.com/Z9ZlW57nDG
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) September 17, 2026
Warner’s NFL Career
Drafted in the third round out of BYU back in 2018, Warner has far exceeded the expectations set for him.
He burst onto the scene as a rookie, recording 124 tackles across 16 games in 2018. While he’s battled some injuries throughout his career, he’s been dominant every time he steps onto the football field.
He’s a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro. He has now recorded 959 tackles entering Week 2 and is quickly approaching 1,000.
49ers Legend Patrick Willis Makes Strong Fred Warner Statement