“Fred Warner and Roquan Smith. Those guys are the epitome of the new-age linebacker and that’s what I’m trying to do. I think their tackling ability is superb. They don’t miss many tackles and they move really well in space.” The Super Bowl LIX champion Eagles’ defensive tackle Zack Baun said this while sharing thoughts about skills. And why not? The 49ers might had a disappointing 2024 season (finishing 6-11), but their linebacker, Warner, indeed had a brilliant one. He had 131 tackles with 4 forced fumbles (tied for fourth in the league) and 2 interceptions. Now as the team prepares for their next season, Warner has been deployed on a different but important duty! 

Warner’s wife, Sydney, shared adorable pictures of their baby, depicting Fred Warner’s special duties postseason. In one of Sydney’s Instagram stories, Fred has been lying in the ball pit of their kid. The overlay text of the story says, “Dads wore out 😂. Beau has the most energy he’s ever had in this stage so we have been busy 24/7 a day, entertaining this little energy ball.” Warner couldn’t match his baby’s energy, lol! 

And wait—the cuteness of Fred and Sydney’s baby isn’t over yet! “This ball pit is the best investment. 100% worth it, and it’s a beige mom’s dreammm,” Fred’s wife shared, posting a photo where their baby was outside the ball pit while Fred was inside it.

Did you see the level of insanity shown by the 49ers linebacker here? He literally took his own child’s spot! Fans must have been laughing out loud. Sydney Warner also shared that they went out for lunch with their blue-eyed baby. Fred Warner is known for being as fierce as the game demands, but 49ers fans got a rare glimpse of his softer, more playful side.

Jokes apart, Warner’s mind is weaving strategies for the upcoming season, and he has a strong message for his crew. 

Fred Warner’s strong message to the locker room

During the NFL Honors, Fred Warner was with former player LeSean Kamel McCoy discussing the 2024 season and the performance of the 49ers. In McCoy’s words, “I sat next to Fred Warner at the NFL Honors and said ‘What happened Dawg?’, and he said ‘Yo, our defense was bad. Bad, bad.” He was quite right! If you look at the stats, the 49ers’ defense ranked just 19th in tackling efficiency among 32 teams.

And what was the result of 49ers poor defense? After the last matchup against the Cardinals, Kyle Shanahan fired Nick Sorensen, the then-defensive coordinator of the team. However, Robert Saleh‘s hiring as a defensive coordinator felt more shocking. He was fired by the Jets midseason.

As every San Francisco fan, Fred Warner is also looking forward to a great season for the 49ers defense under Robert Saleh. Talking about Saleh, the linebacker said, “I love Saleh, love everything about him. He was one of the few coaches… The draft process is horrible, unless you’re like, the first overall pick, maybe, I don’t know how it is. For those guys in the first round, they might get talked up, but for a guy like me who’s trying to prove himself, I had a bunch of teams telling me, like, ‘Oh, you can’t do this. You’re not this, you’re not that.’” Looks like, Warner is excited to work with Saleh in the season. 

A whirlwind of opinions has surrounded Fred since the linebackers’ squad fell short. However, 49ers fans and experts still believe in his abilities.

And the cherry on top? Robert Saleh’s appointment is expected to be the X-factor for the 49ers’ upcoming season.