The San Francisco 49ers could get one of their star players back for the playoffs much sooner than they had expected.
49ers general manager John Lynch divulged Friday that linebacker Fred Warner is ahead of schedule in rehabbing the dislocated ankle he suffered in Week 6. While Lynch did not commit to Warner playing in the playoffs, he certainly left the door open to the possibility.
“I wouldn’t put anything past him,” Lynch said of Warner.
John Lynch was asked if Fred Warner will be back for the playoffs:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) December 26, 2025
“Fred has been attacking his rehab in every which way and he’s making really good progress. I’ve said this consistently, it would be well ahead of the original timeline we were given, but Fred has the ability to… pic.twitter.com/ngHX7PXmpb
The 49ers still have the opportunity to land the No. 1 seed in the NFC if they win their two remaining games. One would figure that getting that first-round bye might be a boost to their chances of getting Warner back in action for at least one playoff game.
Warner is arguably the backbone of San Francisco’s defense. The four-time All-Pro had 51 total tackles in six games this season before going down with his injury. Getting him back for the postseason would be hugely beneficial to the 49ers, who are now 11-4 and have emerged as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
