49ers’ Linebacker Fred Warner Agrees to Lucrative Extension to Stay in San Francisco

He's one of the NFL's best at his position.
Fred Warner stands after the 49ers' Jan. 5 loss to the Cardinals
Fred Warner stands after the 49ers' Jan. 5 loss to the Cardinals / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
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Three days after extending quarterback Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers have locked up another franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

The 49ers are signing linebacker Fred Warner to a three-year contract extension worth $63 million with $56 million guaranteed, according to a Monday afternoon report from Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal makes him the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.

Warner, 28, has been one of the best NFL defenders of the 2020s. He has made four All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowls since San Francisco drafted him 70th out of BYU in 2018.

In 2024, even as the 49ers' fortunes waned, he remained a force with two interceptions and 131 total tackles. He has recorded between 130 and 137 total tackles in each of the last four seasons.

This is, as Schefter noted, the second time San Francisco has made Warner the highest-paid linebacker in football, following a 2021 extension. The 49ers are scheduled to open their season on Sept. 7 against the Seattle Seahawks.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .