If you’re bummed about the 49ers not being in the Super Bowl, you won’t have to wait long for them to return to the championship. At least, their star linebacker thinks so.
Fred Warner not only thinks the 49ers are going to be back in the Super Bowl, but he thinks it’s not far away. In fact, he thinks this is the one where the 49ers finally win the whole thing.
“The next one, we are definitely winning it,” Warner said during his appearance on the Pardon My Take Podcast. “I guarantee. Next year.”
To be fair, Warner was either interrupted or cut himself off as he said “guarantee”, but there wasn’t anything sarcastic in the tone used when saying the 49ers win the next Super Bowl. According to Warner, another loss isn’t in the cards.
The 49ers have enough to deal with on electrical substations, Great Disappointments, and the Candlestick Curse. Now we’re going to guarantee Super Bowls?
Well, it’s better than players’ futures being overanalyzed into the offseason, and all the cryptic social media responses/actions that follow. I’ll take a Super Bowl prediction any day over a player hinting they are leaving San Francisco.
Still, Super Bowl predictions from players or coaches for the team they currently play/coach for can elicit eyerolls from everyone, fans or otherwise. Getting to the championship is one thing; winning it is an entirely different battle. 49ers fans know this all too well.
This statement could be taken similarly to Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl prediction for the New York Jets in 2010. Back then, Ryan, as the Jets’ head coach, guaranteed a Super Bowl victory. The Jets wound up losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship.
If you think I’m spewing nonsense, I promise you that’s something I didn’t fabricate: The Jets were, in fact, not only in the NFL postseason, but in the final four. Look, the early 2010s were weird, man.
There’s also Vince Young’s “Dream Team” statement in 2011 during the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason. A statement the 49ers were happy to make into a punchline after they clawed back in Week 3 to beat the Eagles 24-23 in Philadelphia.
Warner’s words hit different. This isn’t an overconfident coach or a backup quarterback. This is a well-respected player in the NFL who is making their case to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when their career is over. Plus, Warner has been to two Super Bowls. Young has never been to one, and Ryan won one as a defensive coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
If Warner were healthy this year, along with others like Nick Bosa, the 49ers might be the ones playing Sunday instead of the Seattle Seahawks. Now, a lot of things probably still would have had to go the 49ers’ way, but their defense wouldn’t be running on fumes at the very least.
Do you think Warner has already jinxed the team by saying they will win the Super Bowl? Or do you love hearing him say it?
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