Week 1 saw Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw reunite to help the San Francisco 49ers secure a win in Australia over the Los Angeles Rams. Moreover, although they didn’t play together last season, their chemistry didn’t disappear.
Last season, Greenlaw was with the Denver Broncos while Warner dealt with a severe right ankle fracture and dislocation in Week 6 that would cause him to miss the rest of the 2025 campaign. However, both made the most of the new season and their reunion.
Warner played 53 snaps while Greenlaw played 40, per PFF’s game report. Nonetheless, it was Warner who was all over the place, recording seven tackles and a forced fumble. As for Greenlaw, he recorded three tackles.
Ahead of their Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins, Warner spoke to the media on Sept. 16 and shared what it was like to play with Greenlaw once again.
“Just like riding a bike,” Warner told reporters. “Man, it’s a dream. It’s been a dream since he rejoined our team, and it’s an unspoken language. Me and Dre, we don’t really have to say much.
“We understand both of us are on the same type of time every single time we step out there [and] we know each one of us is trying to beat each other to the ball every play. So, Dre’s an unbelievable player. I’m so happy to have him back.”
49ers’ Fred Warner Happy to Be Back Playing Football
Warner also shared what it was like to be back on the field after having his 2025 campaign cut short.
“I never really thought about it, even leading up to the game and throughout,” Warner added. “I just treated it as the next one, and making sure I did what was needed from an execution standpoint to make sure we did what we needed to do to win the game.”
Moreover, he shared how he’s feeling about his body after playing football again.
“I felt great,” Warner said. “Felt like myself. No residual effects afterward. It felt like it had been a long time since I felt football soreness, I’ll say that. It’d been about a year since I played an actual football game and had that many impacts. But aside from that, it was great.”
Colin Cowherd on Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw’s Peformance
Recently, after the 49ers’ win over the Rams, FS1’s Colin Cowherd shared his thoughts on the game and spotlighted the linebacker duo and what it was like to see them play together again.
“They just sniff out plays,” Cowherd said in a Sept. 10 video on his YouTube channel. “I don’t care how talented a rookie linebacker is, think about how many Niners practices Fred Warner has been at. Warner is a super smart guy anyway, but when I watch Fred Warner, you’re talking about a guy that sniffs the play out. He is planting his foot a third of a second after the ball is snapped. Again, they play the Rams regularly. The Rams didn’t bring a lot of tricks into this game.”
“Along with their ability to sniff out plays, both players have the chemistry many teams would want in a linebacker duo. Even after spending a season apart, they picked up where they left off, and this reunion is off on the right foot.”
49ers’ Fred Warner Gets Blunt on Dre Greenlaw Reunion After Week 1