Fred Warner appears to be inching closer to a return to the field if the San Francisco 49ers can extend their postseason run. On Jan. 13, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that the Niners have opened Warner’s practice window to return from injury.
As a result, Warner could potentially return for the NFC title game in two weeks if the 49ers advance past the Seattle Seahawks.
Nonetheless, facing the Seahawks on the road will be no easy task, but not impossible, for the Niners, who are coming off a win over the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Warner won’t be on the field, his return to practice is a significant boost for the team and himself, as he spoke with the media on Jan. 14 about this latest update.
“I feel amazing!” Warner said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “Let me just say that I’m so grateful and blessed to be back. When all this happened, I didn’t think about the possibility of returning this season, but the way things progressed and having the opportunity to be back with my teammates and give them a chance to win this week, that’s my only goal moving forward.”
Moreover, Warner sounded like someone who isn’t just preparing to be back for a potential NFC title game; it appears he wants to do everything possible to play against Seattle.
“It’s just another day at the office!” Warner added (h/t 95.7 The Game). “My only goal is to have the best day every day to have a chance to beat Seattle.”
49ers Get Major Boost With Fred Warner Returning
With the Niners potentially seeing the return of Warner, who has been out since Oct. 12 after suffering an ankle injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 49ers’ Demarcus Robinson didn’t hide the boost that the update gave the squad.
“I feel like we could definitely feel his presence a bit more,” Robinson told reporters on Jan. 13 (h/t Tracy Sandler of FGSN). “He’s out there on the field with us. We always had his energy being in the stadium, getting the crowd before the game. But definitely for us now as teammates, having him out there, being on the field, [and] at practice seeing him run around. It feels good to see him back out there.”
49ers’ George Kittle Will Serve as a Motivator
Despite the 49ers seeing the potential return of Warner on the field, whether he does make it to the playoff contest against Seattle or the NFC title game, the Niners did lose another veteran leader in George Kittle to an injury.
Although Kittle won’t be on the field after suffering a torn Achilles tendon injury, the tight end will be motivating the team as he did during halftime against the Eagles. Niners’ Kyle Juszczyk revealed the message that Kittle sent them during halftime to motivate the team to defeat Philadelphia.
“Losing George is different,” Juszczyk told reporters postgame after the 49ers beat the Eagles (h/t KNBR). “That’s the heart and soul of our team. He brings so much energy, and [he is such] an incredible player. So that definitely hurts a lot. But even when he was down, he was still positive.
“I came in at halftime, and he was smiling, and he said, I’m not dead yet, man. I’ll be back. Go win it. That meant a lot. Guys just continued to step up and find ways, even we lose our best players. And we did enough to get the win.”
49ers’ Fred Warner Gives Blunt Message Before Seahawks Game