49ers Get Blunt Words From Jason Garrett on Fred Warner Injury
Fred Warner of the San Francisco 49ers
It was a costly 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the San Francisco 49ers. Fred Warner will miss the rest of the season after dislocating and breaking his ankle in the 49ers’ loss to Tampa Bay,
The injury happened in the first quarter when a teammate inadvertently struck Warner’s right leg while the 49ers were pursuing Buccaneers running back Rachaad White.
As for San Francisco, the question is, what’s next? The team already lost Nick Bosa for the season, and now Warner. Despite the latest injury news for the 49ers being disastrous for their defense, former NFL head coach Jason Garrett believes the franchise has the coaching staff to overcome Warner’s absence.
“If any team can handle it, they can,” Garrett said on the October 12 edition of “Football Night in America.” “Kyle Shanahan, as good as there is, not only as a head coach but as an offensive guy, and Robert Saleh the same way on the other side. But when Fred Warner is out of the lineup, I’ll tell you what—you become a different team.”
49ers React to Losing Fred Warner
On a young defensive unit, Warner was that steady veteran presence that could guide the players in the right direction. Now, some of them will need to begin flying solo out on the field.
After the loss, several 49ers players commented on seeing Warner go down and now not having his presence on the team going forward for the rest of the 2025 NFL.
“It’s heartbreaking,” left tackle Trent Williams said after the loss to the Buccaneers (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “Fred, not only is he one of the best linebackers to ever play the game, but he is the heart and soul of this team, not just the heart and soul of this defense.
“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. It’s really hard to continue the intensity
Injuries Begin to Stack Up for 49ers
Warner’s injury resonated beyond the Niners’ locker room. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield began his postgame news conference by sending thoughts and prayers to Warner, a message that Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles
“It was sickening,” Bowles said (h/t Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “He’s one of the best players in the league. A great guy on top of that. You hate to see something like that happen. Hopefully, he has a speedy recovery. That kind of breaks your heart, no matter what side of the ball you’re on.”
For the 49ers, bouncing back after Warner’s injury will be even tougher with key defensive injuries. Bosa tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 3 and is out for the season.
San Francisco now faces the final 11 games without one of their top defenders while also dealing with injuries to tight end George Kittle (hamstring), quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), and receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee), Brandon Aiyuk (knee), and Jennings (ankle, ribs, shoulder).
Jaylen Brown makes bold claim on Boston Celtics roster: ‘We got enough’
The Celtics have muted expectations for the first time in years as most outsiders don’t have them aiming for another championship. That’s partly due to roster turnover and partly due to Jayson Tatum’s injured Achilles. And through the early portions of preseason, the Celtics are building a new identity with a new team.
But Jaylen Brown doesn’t necessarily view it that way. The Celtics still have talent on their roster starting with Brown, the four-time All-Star. So, after C’s practice Monday, Brown had a bold statement at least when it comes to their roster.
“We just gotta stay the course,” Brown said. “We got enough. We’re looking at other teams — we feel like we’re just as talented or we could beat them. The most important thing is not hanging your head after some mistakes or hanging your head after a loss. We just gotta move forward.”
It remains to be seen how the Celtics mesh together, though the main guys have played well in their preseason games thus far. Part of that is how the C’s haven’t gone up against an opposing team’s main guys. But still, the results have been solid. Brown also pointed out that guys fighting for roster spots often play more-physical defense, which isn’t always the case playing against starters in the preseason.
Regardless, Brown will have a crucial impact on this team. With Tatum sidelined, Brown will be consistently at the top of the opposing scouting report. He’s already accomplished plenty in this league, including being named the 2024 NBA Finals MVP for his work on both ends of the court. He also doesn’t look like he’s slowed down at all by the offseason knee surgery he had months ago at this point.
In many ways, it’s also a new role for Brown with this roster. The Celtics no longer employ longtime veterans who know the cadence of the 82-game season. No, they have hungry, young guys who are looking to prove they’re rotation-caliber NBA players. That’s also where Brown can help be a leader.
“I come to work every day trying to share my experiences, my basketball knowledge,” Brown said. “And also thinking about how I can bring the most out of everybody around me and my teammates. How to make them better as well as trying to perform at my highest level. It’s a balance. I have the tools to do it. I think I’ve been in enough roles throughout my years to have a good feel for everything. I’m embracing it; I’m enjoying it.”
