Fred Warner’s Broken Ankle Shocks Bucs Rookie Tez Johnson as 49ers Injury Woes Continue

Star linebacker Fred Warner has been the mainstay in the middle of the San Francisco 49ers' defense for the past 8 seasons.

Fred Warner’s Broken Ankle Shocks Bucs Rookie Tez Johnson as 49ers Injury Woes Continue

Bucs rookie Tez Johnson was shocked after Fred Warner's injury (Image via SS/Bleacher Report/X)

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The San Francisco 49ers were one of the Super Bowl hopefuls this year, as Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and the others were heading into the season opener with a solid roster.

They were missing Brandon Aiyuk and a couple of others due to injury, but since they had most of the players available, the idea was that they would lead the team to wins while waiting for their stars to return.

McCaffrey shrugged off initial injury worries and has played in all the games so far. In Week 3, star pass rusher Nick Bosa tore his ACL, ruling him out for the season.

Soon, QB Purdy and then star tight end George Kittle went down with injuries that would keep them out for a while. Wideout Ricky Pearsall saw his name on the injury list, then was joined by Jauan Jennings.

In Week 6, they were to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their ‘clutch’ star, Baker Mayfield. With 7 minutes left in the 1st quarter, Bucs running back Rachaad White received the ball and ran up the middle.

After keeping his blocker at bay, Fred Warner turned around to try to tackle White from behind. As he turned, free safety Ji’Ayir Brown launched to tackle the running back.

Brown came crashing down onto the ground, and landed on Warner’s right ankle. Seeing him writhing in pain, Buccaneers’ rookie wideout Tez Johnson frantically called on the 49ers’ medical staff to come onto the field.

He then clutched his helmet, visibly shocked after seeing the way Fred Warner’s broken and dislocated ankle stayed bent. Such a graphic visual is not something that everyone can stomach, and Johnson walked away as he could not look anymore.

Baker Mayfield prays as 49ers’ medical staff tend to Fred Warner

Every player on the field realized how gruesome the injury was when they saw Fred Warner‘s ankle lying in that state. They understood this injury would rule him out for the rest of the year.

Players, no matter how competitive they are, never celebrate when another fellow star suffers a serious injury. When the 49ers’ medical staff tended to their star linebacker, every on-field player was either kneeling or took off their helmets.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, who has taken to his faith quite strongly in the past few years, was seen kneeling and seemingly praying for his fallen competitor. They waited as Fred Warner was carted off the field, with the players looking over, giving him messages of support.

The 49ers would end up losing the game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-19, as Mayfield brought out another of his heroic runs that has become a regular play this season.

Now, the away team heads back home with serious questions about its ability to finish this season with some means of success. This season is going from bad to worse with every passing game for the Niners.

Fred Warner would need surgery, ruling him out for the season

Any injury that requires the player to be carted out usually indicates that the athlete will miss considerable time. Only Joe Burrow, who essentially walked off the field with the help of the Cincinnati Bengals staff, was an exception.

49ers will miss Fred Warner's leadership and elite performances
49ers will miss Fred Warner’s leadership and elite performances (Image via Imago)

Tyreek Hill, Morice Norris, etc., have all called an end to their respective seasons. When the cart came out to take Fred Warner away, everyone inside Raymond James Stadium knew that the linebacker was not playing anymore this season.

ESPN’s lead NFL Insider, Adam Schefter, confirmed the news soon after, as the 49ers’ medical staff confirmed to him that Warner’s broken and dislocated ankle will require surgery.

That means Warner, who just signed an extension, will spend the next several months recovering at home, with a view to getting ready for the 2026 season. Now, it will be last year’s 7th-round pick, Tatum Bethune‘s time to step up.

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