The San Francisco 49ers opened up the practice window for star linebacker Fred Warner to return from injury this week, giving him the opportunity to go through walkthroughs and get on the field as he tries to come back from a dislocated and fractured ankle.<\/p>\n
Now, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Warner is not expected back this week<\/a> and that the hope is he can return should the 49ers advance to the NFC Championship Game, which felt like the initial earliest timeline for the star anyway.<\/p>\n It will be a decision purely up to the doctors, although Warner mentally feels like he\u2019s already ready to go and is eager to get out on the field again.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready whenever they\u2019re ready,\u201d Warner said on The Ryen Russillo Show. \u201cThere\u2019s some T\u2019s that gotta be crossed, I\u2019s that gotta be dotted. Unfortunately, if it were just up to me, I\u2019d be out there this weekend, but it\u2019s unfortunately not that way. I\u2019ve got to make sure I\u2019m checking all the boxes, and everybody has to give me the okay before they let me go out there. But I\u2019m pushing, man. I\u2019m training hard. I\u2019m back doing full football drills and everything, so time will tell.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, that doesn\u2019t mean his impact hasn\u2019t started to be felt both in the locker room and on the field. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh shared that Warner has already started to give \u2018pure energy\u2019 on the field, even in walkthroughs.<\/p>\n \u201cJust pure energy,\u201d Saleh said about Warner\u2019s return. \u201cFred\u2019s the ultimate energy-giver, and so, just having him out there is awesome. Yesterday was a little bit more tempo down, but today, obviously, with a higher tempo, it\u2019ll be fun to get him out there, seeing him running around.\u201d<\/p>\n But he\u2019s not the only one noticing. Warner\u2019s teammates are also feeling the difference in the atmosphere with his return. Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson was among that group, feeling an increase in energy with him out on the field.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like you could say we can definitely feel his presence a bit more,\u201d Robinson said on Tuesday, via NBC Sports Bay Area. <\/a>\u201cHe\u2019s out there on the field with us. We always had his energy, being in the stadium, getting the crowd pumped before the game. But definitely, for us now, as teammates, having him out there, being on the field at practice, seeing him running around. It feels good seeing him back out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Defensive tackle Kalia Davis was even taken aback a bit, sensing something different when seeing Warner back out there for the first time.<\/p>\n