The 49ers are 1-0 after beating the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 to begin their 2026 NFL season and welcomed back multiple key stars in the process.

Fred Warner made his return to the field after missing most of last season with an injury and wasted no time in making his presence known. Warner has been the heart and soul of the 49ers for years, and future Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams believes that Warner plays a big role in helping the offense flourish, even being the key to their early success.

Williams spoke to the media after practice on Friday and gave his thoughts on Warner’s return, including how practicing against him brings out the best in the 49ers’ offense.

“I think Fred may be a bigger singular reason why the offense is as far along as it is this early, because going against Fred in camp every day is a ‘B-word,’” Williams told reporters. “He understands the offense, he knows what we want to do, he understands body language. So your play action has to really look like play action if you want to get a ball off in practice.

“It just makes you be a better offense, and he’s gonna let you hear about it. Every play he makes, you’re going to hear three seconds of screaming, see him flex. That’s my teammate, we’re still competitive, too, though.”

Warner is known for his physicality and tenacity in each and every game. And in practice, he brings the same level of intensity, forcing the offense to lock in and really push themselves to the limit.

“Anybody who touches that ball, you’ve got to be prepared because he’s swinging, and I mean, he’s so accurate with the punch,” Williams told reporters. “Accidents still happen, but it definitely trains you and it hardens you and it makes you ready for the week. I don’t know if we get him as ready to play as he gets us ready to play, but he’s a godsend for us.”

Warner, the No. 70 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s top linebackers. In his rookie season, he started all 16 games and recorded over 100 tackles, putting his knack for the ball on full display. Warner played a pivotal role on the 49ers’ defense that helped lead the franchise to Super Bowl LIV in 2019.

Warner is a four-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro pick, earning those honors in 2020 and in 2022-2024. Before suffering a season-ending ankle injury last year, Warner missed only one career game — Week 13 of the 2021 season because of a pulled hamstring.

Warner’s return provides a major boost for the 49ers and is a crucial step towards the team reaching its goal of winning a sixth Super Bowl title. If he can stay healthy and play at a high level, the 49ers will be a scary team to face.

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