There are plenty of ways to describe San Francisco 49ers LB Fred Warner. All-Pro. Team captain. Defensive leader. Difference-maker.
Warner entered the 2026 season already sitting second behind Patrick Willis on San Francisco's all-time tackles list. Then, in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, he recorded 11 tackles, surpassing the Hall of Fame linebacker for the most tackles in franchise history.
And while that accomplishment says plenty about Warner's production, Kyle Shanahan believes it's the way he approaches the job every day that makes him so special. "He amazes me every day," Shanahan told Matt Maiocco on Friday. "Fred, he's one of the most amazing people I've been around, and he's such a freak in terms of a player. I mean his height, his length, his speed, his physicality, all that stuff."
Then Shanahan got to what he believes separates Warner from almost everyone else. "But I've never been around a guy who just every single day seems like it's the most important day of his life, just in terms of how he attacks everything."
Shanahan has watched that consistency for years. Warner came into the NFL as a third-round pick in 2018 and immediately established himself...