After suffering a season-ending ankle injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, San Francisco 49ers‘ linebacker Fred Warner is trying his best to make a ‘legendary’ comeback. Having been one of the most reliable linebackers, GM John Lynch is keeping a close eye on the WR’s recovery. He recently broke news about Warner’s availability.

“We’ll talk to the Docs… let’s get there and let’s see. If you give Fred a timeline, he’ll want to break it and beat it. We’ll see if it’s a possibility, we just have to put in the work so perhaps it is,” 49ers GM said. Warner suffered this injury when just eight minutes were left in the first quarter.

Buccaneers’ running back Rachaad White was going for a 10-yard gain when Warner tried to confine White, who cut inside him. Then, Niners safety Ji’Ayir Brown corralled White, which is when Brown struck the back of Warner’s leg. Soon, Warner’s right foot and ankle were put in an air cast, and he was carried off the field. Later, it was revealed that Warner had fractured and dislocated his ankle. Coach Kyle Shanahan also confirmed that the 28-year-old will undergo surgery to fix his ankle. Will he return this season? highly unlikely.

“Unless the 49ers go to the Super Bowl, [Warner] is probably out for the season,” said Dr Eric Giza, the chief of orthopedic foot and ankle surgery at UC Davis. The 49ers are currently leading the NFC West standings, and Warner’s contribution to their current position can’t be ignored.

Before the injury, Warner had a total of 51 tackles (28 solo and 23 assists). He was also ranked 16th on NFL Network’s annual “Top 100 Players” list. The linebacker has also recorded 2 forced fumbles this season. Fred has been an important asset to the 49ers’ defense, and that’s why Lynch is still hopeful about Warner’s injury despite it being stated as a season-ending one.

But amid the loss, there was some good news for the 49ers as well, especially in the form of who came in to replace Warner against the Buccaneers.

All hope is not lost for the 49ers 

Following Warner’s injury against the Buccaneers, the 49ers decided to bring in Tatum Bethune as Warner’s replacement during the game. He joined the team as the middle linebacker.

After Warner left the field, the 49ers allowed the Buccaneers to score touchdowns on three of their first four full possessions, but Bethune gave a hopeful performance. He led the team with a career-high 10 tackles and had 23 snaps against the run. Apart from his impressive performance, Bethune even got a sign of approval from coach Shanahan.

“I thought Tatum did a real good job,” Shanahan said. “I mean, he had a couple of mistakes, which were understandable. Tatum had a lot on his plate. He came in, and I thought he did a lot of good things getting us lined up, but I think that’s something he’ll be a lot more ready for next week, getting all the reps.”

While Kyle’s recent remarks confirm Bethune is a capable replacement for the absent Warner, many 49ers fans may still be holding out for Warner’s full return to form.