When Fred Warner went down way back in Week 6 with a dislocated and broken ankle, it appeared his season was definitively over.
The likelihood still remains that Warner has played his last snaps this season, but the lengths to which the 49ers’ All-Pro linebacker is going in his recovery have fueled talk of a comeback in the playoffs if San Francisco does indeed make it into the dance.
Warner is making frequent use of a hyperbaric chamber as he aims to expedite his recovery, with his efforts receiving effusive praise from general manager John Lynch.
Speaking to KNBR on Thursday, Lynch said: “Fred’s crushing it. He’s going to attack everything in his life with the same mentality, which is not waste a minute, focus on what he can control, and that’s working his tail off. I’ve told you all the lengths that Fred goes [through] to be the best he can possibly be. He’s not approaching this any different.”
Referencing a recent video of Warner in the swimming pool, Lynch added: “Someone showed it to me, where he’s swimming, so he’s kind of taken on that. And I think that’s something Fred always tries to implement—something different. I think, in his approach to this injury, he’s approached it the very same way, and he’s doing really well.”
Lynch, though, still views it as unlikely that Warner will be able to suit up in the postseason should the 49ers qualify. However, intriguingly, he conceded nothing is beyond the leader of the San Francisco defense.
“Like I said before, it’s a stretch to foresee him coming back [for the playoffs], but I don’t put anything past Fred Warner,” Lynch explained.
“Our biggest issue is just going to be making sure—he’ll want to, but it’s just like, is it a wise decision for him, for our organization, all those things? We’ll let that transpire, but what Fred will do is not waste a day in doing everything he can to rehab that injury.”
If Warner were to make a miraculous return, there would surely be some rust that might limit what he can do athletically. Yet to have a player whose awareness plays a huge role in changing the equation in pass defense for the 49ers would be a massive boost for San Francisco that would greatly increase the team’s chances of making noise in the playoffs. In an extremely strange season for the 49ers, Warner doing something extraordinary cannot be ruled out.
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