SANTA CLARA —  The 49ers have had to play without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner on the field, but both All-Pros offered support to their team at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. 


It wasn’t a great day for San Francisco — losing 42-26 to the Los Angeles Rams — but the leadership of both players meant a lot to the locker room. That includes Tatum Bethune, who has taken over the middle linebacker role since Warner suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 6. 

“He was asking me how we felt throughout the game and what we could have done better,” Bethune said about their postgame conversation. “I asked him what he saw, and he just said we have to play hard, execute and get off the field.” 

Warner was seen on the Jumbotron in a suite with his family to watch the game, and rolling around the stadium before and after the game using a knee scooter.

Bosa was spotted walking with only a protective sleeve on his right knee, watching the game from one of the suites, and then after the game going in and out of the locker room to be with his teammates. 

Mykel Williams, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 9, also was in the building to watch the 49ers, walking with the assistance of crutches. Maybe the silver lining for all three players is going through extensive rehabilitation together. 

The defense appears to have the potential to play sound football, but it has done so only inconsistently. With so many younger players on the defense, their inexperience is evident in their play, and Warner and Bosa’s presence can only help players like Bethune grow. 

Even though Mac Jones plays on the offense, the quarterback noted the presence of the two defensive captains in the locker room. 

“That was awesome just to see those guys,” Jones said. “Had a few injuries here and guys are stepping up, but just to have their presence and seeing them before the game — just dapping them up and saying what’s up — it always lifts the vibes. 

“I know they want to be out there and I know they can’t, but they are doing everything they can to get healthy and be there for the young players on our team.”

Warner and Bosa won’t return until the 2026 season, but their influence on the team will continue throughout the remainder of the season. 

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