The San Francisco 49ers locker room was shaken on Sunday, October 12, when linebacker Fred Warner left the field with a devastating ankle injury in the team’s 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to ESPN, his teammates quickly gathered around Warner after he went down, many with their hands on their heads or dropping to one knee.
Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, who collided with Warner on the play, was visibly emotional. “I was right there when it happened,” Brown said. “Seeing him go down, a guy that doesn’t go down, you know what I mean? It’s draining. I think it kind of drained the stadium. Everybody felt that.”
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings admitted he had to take nausea medication after watching the injury unfold. “I was sick to my stomach,” he said.
Left tackle Trent Williams echoed that sentiment, describing Warner as “the heart and soul of this team, not just the defense.” He added, “It’s one thing to see somebody go down and go to the blue tent, and nobody really knows what’s going on. When you see a guy that’s injured like that, it’s really like a gut punch.”
Warner’s injury occurred with just under eight minutes left in the first quarter. On a first-and-10 play at Tampa Bay’s 36-yard line, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White broke through for a 10-yard gain.
As Warner moved in for the stop, Brown tackled White from behind, rolling into Warner’s ankle. Medical staff quickly placed Warner’s leg in an air cast, and he was carted off as teammates offered words of support.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Warner suffered a broken and dislocated right ankle that will require surgery. The team leader won’t return this season. “He’s one of our best players, also a huge leader, so obviously, a huge blow,” Shanahan said. “I feel bad for Fred right now.”
The 49ers turned to second-year linebacker Tatum Bethune, who finished with a team-high 10 tackles. Bethune acknowledged the challenge ahead: “Fred getting hurt was unfortunate, but this is why we are all professionals and we’ve all got a job to do.”
Losing Warner for the remainder of the year is a major setback for a San Francisco 49ers roster already missing Nick Bosa, George Kittle, and others.
Still, Warner addressed his teammates postgame, reminding them there’s still plenty left to play for. “There’s a lot of football left,” linebacker Luke Gifford said, recalling Warner’s message.