Why Being Named to the Pro Bowl is not Enough for Fred Warner
49ers linebacker Fred Warner is finally starting to be recognized as a premier player in the league.
The fact that he has been named to his first ever Pro Bowl is a testament to that. Warner rightfully deserves this accolade, even if he is an alternate. In fact, you could argue he deserved it last season as well.
"It's a huge honor," said Warner. "That's one of those things where you come to the league and you have individual goals that you set for yourself, so to be able to check one of those off is huge and I think any individual accolades in this league is always a team award. Football I feel like is the truest team sport and it's our world, so I can't do what I do without my teammates. Trent (Williams) and Kyle (Juszczyk) will say the exact same. I just got a very great group around me and I am very grateful, very blessed."
A Pro Bowl answer for a Pro Bowl player. The ascension of Warner has been the best thing to watch out of the 49ers this season. What he does for the defense is impeccable. That is why being named to the Pro Bowl is not enough for Warner.
He deserves to be named as an All Pro.
I am sure when Warner refers to "individual goals," becoming an All Pro is one of them. He surely has been performing like one. Being named as an All Pro is the true accolade in the NFL. The Pro Bowl is essentially a popularity contest. That is why he wasn't named as a starter because casual fans don't even know who he is. The credibility of it is very minimal, so as sweet as it is for some of the players that deserve it, there are a lot of other players that didn't get it because they are not well-known.
An All Pro Honor will do Warner's 2020 season justice. His impact as a leader and a performer cannot be overstated for the 49ers. With DeForest Buckner out of the picture, the responsibility of leadership fell into Warner's lap. And boy, has he become a leader of men.
What might keep Warner off of the All Pro list is his stats. He doesn't have anything that pops out like sacks, interceptions, or forced fumbles. All he really has is tackling that pops out, so for lazy analysts and fans, seeing Warner named to the Pro Bowl without these basic stats likely irked them.
Luckily, football goes beyond those surface stats.
Warner has been one of, if not the best coverage linebacker in the game. He defends against the run adequately as well, but his money maker is in pass coverage, which carries more weight. Warner is allowing 3.9 yards per target and a completion percentage of 57 (h/t Kyle Posey).
A player that is a threat in both facets to an offense is why Aaron Rodgers called Warner the best linebacker in football. That complement alone is why Warner was named as a Pro Bowl alternate. Alternates are voted on by his peers and coaches, so I actually believe THAT is the real honor. Not winning the popularity contest with fans.
Becoming an All Pro is not easy, especially for a player on a losing team. But without Warner, the 49ers would look uglier in some losses and maybe even have dropped a game or two.
Warner deserves to be an All Pro.
