Getty Fred Warner defends Darren Waller on January 1, 2023 in Las Vegas.
San Francisco 49ers captain and linebacker Fred Warner sent a warning shot to one decorated six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver — though in a playful way.
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson certainly caught the attention of the Niners star. Johnson, who played in Super Bowl 46 with the New England Patriots before ending his career with the Miami Dolphins, reacted to one question involving Pro Football Focus.
The question proposed by PFF: Is Fred Warner the undisputed LB1? The national analytics site also anointed Warner as their top ‘backer for the 2023 season.
Johnson, though, responded to that Thursday, July 20 post by believing he’s still got it as a wideout who ran through defenders.
“Absolutely but I would run him over easily if the opportunity presented itself,” Johnson said.
Warner, though, sent out his warning:
@ochocinco Ocho! Don’t make me use your own phrase on you🤣🤣 respect tho🤟🏾
That catch phrase Johnson popularized during his NFL career was “child please.”
What PFF Says About Warner
Sam Monson of PFF helped unveil their “PFF 50” on Friday, July 21 and listed Warner as a top 20 player — coming in at No. 14 overall.
“Warner’s excellence is displayed simply through the assignments he draws within the 49ers defense, which asks him to play a bigger role than most other players at the position,” Monson wrote. “Warner responded with an 85.7 overall grade and earned good grades in every facet of play PFF measures. He allowed an 88.8 passer rating into his coverage, more than 15 points lower than the average at the position.”
Was their any linebackers ahead of Warner? Excluding stand up edge rushers like Micah Parsons, Warner stands alone as the lead ILB for PFF.
And ironically, PFF doesn’t have any other player listed as an “LB” on their top 50 list ahead of the 2023 season.
The Number of 49ers Who Made the Cut for PFF
In total, and along with Warner, the 49ers landed six representatives on the PFF list.
The highest ranked 49er was Trent Williams, as the left tackle came in at No. 3 overall.
“Williams keeps creating an endless teaching tape of highlight-reel blocks destroying defenders. In a league full of super strength, he is able to ragdoll incredibly stout and established defenders,” Monson wrote.
The next ranked 49er was edge rusher Nick Bosa, who was slotted at No. 6 overall. Monson brought up how Bosa delivered 98 total pressures and delivered 19 sacks in a total of 19 outings.
“Bosa completely took over games last season. He had three single-game performances with a 90.0-plus PFF pass-rushing grade and in two games had at least 10 pressures. Bosa is a problem for any team in the league to have to stop on the edge, and he can determine the outcome of a contest if you slip up blocking him once,” Monson said.
One player Monson said would’ve rated higher if it wasn’t for the 49ers having “athletic freakshows” overshadowing him was tight end George Kittle, who came in at No. 39. Christian McCaffrey, who officially starts his first 49ers training camp during the week of July 24, came in next at No. 44.
And at No. 50? Deebo Samuel rounded off the PFF list. While he had what he called a down year, Samuel led the league with 36 broken tackles last season.
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49ers Fred Warner Sends Playful Jab to 6-Time Pro Bowl Wide Receiver