The San Francisco 49ers roster is bleeding this season. The team ruled out linebacker Fred Warner, the face of the defense and the heartbeat of Levi’s Stadium. And when that happened, it felt like the soul got sucked out of the locker room. Now, while he’s working through his toughest rehab yet, Warner’s making a surprising move outside the NFL.

That’s right, the Niners captain is stepping into the content game. Real Ones, his new talk series, will bring the best players around the league to give insights into what goes on behind the scenes. The series’s first episode will be this Wednesday [Nov 19] on GOAT Farm Sports’ YouTube channel. It’s the comeback chapter Fred’s fans will be eager to watch.

“This is going to be the most legendary comeback of all time,” Warner says in the trailer for his latest project. “I know what I’m capable of. I know I’m different. All I got to do is just put the work in and do my thing. I feel like it’s important for me to stay connected and to allow you guys to still see me, to still hear from me.”

The series comes at a time when Warner is out after the season-ending injury.

It all happened in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Rachaad White ran for 10 yards in the first quarter. Warner and safety Ji’Ayir Brown converged while defending the play. Brown’s legs collided with the back of Warner’s ankle before he went down.

The linebacker stayed on the turf briefly while trainers rushed in, and the 49ers’ medical staff evaluated him before helping him off the field. The severity wasn’t immediately clear, but his departure was a noticeable blow to San Francisco’s defense.

What makes this worse? Warner has missed just one game out of 122 since 2018. 

The 28-year-old went through with the surgery for a fractured and dislocated ankle. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, it went “great.” But Fred won’t be back this season, that’s certain, since his recovery window stretches four to six months. 

So now, as the Niners shuffle their linebacking corps behind emerging name Tatum Bethune, Warner turns his focus to healing and storytelling. Which brings us to the real moment: what ran through Warner’s mind when it all crashed down?

The real story behind Fred Warner’s injury

When Warner hit the turf in Tampa, it wasn’t pain that hit first. It was disbelief.

“Oh my goodness,” Warner says in the trailer. “I just feel like this huge blow to my leg. All it took was one play. My entire season was over.”

But even in devastation, the LB stayed true to who he’s always been: grounded and faithful.

“I believe truly that everything happens for a reason, that God has a plan for me,” he added. “This was all a part of the plan, which was I feel like to really inspire others who go through some sort of adversity to really show them what that’s supposed to look like coming down the other side.”

It’s easy to see why his injury hit San Francisco so hard. Warner was the key player on defense. Four Pro Bowls, four All-Pro honors, 121 career starts, and 948 career tackles. And through only six games this season, he had recorded 51 tackles.

The 49ers brace themselves for another tough week ahead, even though they miss Warner’s presence on the field every week. The Niners sit at 6-4 after a fresh loss against the Rams. They head into Week 11 to face the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Off the field, Warner will mark a fresh chapter in his career even as the team works through a critical stretch of the season.