Linebacker Fred Warner had a key performance in the 49ers’ 26-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
He was recognized for his individual production as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, but his influence goes deeper than that.
Alongside Warner, linebacker Dee Winters has been another key performer for San Francisco through two games. On Friday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan also highlighted the way that Warner impacts his teammates — especially Winters — on the field.
“I mean, I never want to take away from anyone else,” Shanahan told reporters. “[Denver Broncos linebacker] Dre Greenlaw is such a great player, and Dee Winters is a very good player who’s got the chance to become like that. But Fred just makes everyone better around him.”
Greenlaw, a former 49ers linebacker, played alongside Warner for six NFL seasons. That tandem in the middle of the San Francisco defense helped lead the team to multiple Super Bowl appearances.
After Greenlaw’s offseason departure, the 49ers are calling on Winters to step up into that starting role. Luckily for Winters, playing next to Warner makes his job a lot easier, as Shanahan explains.
“How decisive [Warner] is with how he communicates, how quick he can pick things up,” Shanahan added. “When they change the formations, do all these motions, it’s very hard to get Fred confused. So, I think he makes everyone out there play a little bit faster. When he’s not there, I think everyone hesitates a little bit more.”
This week, Winters praised Warner for his leadership and “tough love” in an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. The former sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft already has recorded two tackles for loss in two starts this season, as he continues to develop his partnership with Warner.
The 49ers’ defense, which is already off to a solid start to the year, has a chance to build upon that in their 2025 home opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
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