Fred Warner Injury Update: Why the San Francisco 49ers Linebacker Was Carted Off

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter with a right ankle injury. Warner went down with just under eight minutes remaining in the opening quarter while attempting to tackle Buccaneers running back Rachaad White, who had run off left tackle for a 10-yard gain. As Warner tried to bring him down, 49ers safety Ji’Ayir Brown rolled into the back of Warner’s right ankle. Medical staff quickly attended to Warner, and within two minutes he was taken to the locker room on a cart. His ankle was placed in an air cast to stabilise the injury, and the team almost immediately ruled him out for a return. The injury adds to a growing list of key absences for San Francisco. Defensive end Nick Bosa is out for the season with a torn ACL sustained in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, while tight end George Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and receivers Ricky Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings have all missed significant time this season due to injuries. Warner, who joined the 49ers in 2018, has been a central figure in the team’s defence. He was on the verge of breaking Hall of Famer Patrick Willis’ franchise record for career tackles, needing five more to surpass the milestone. Seventh-round 2024 draft pick Tatum Bethune replaced Warner at middle linebacker for the remainder of the game.