The San Francisco 49ers saw the writing on the wall and let a number of key players leave the team this offseason in free agency. The exodus was necessary to free up space to sign quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension. The team also locked up tight end George Kittle on a four-year, $76.4 million deal.
So what’s next for the 49ers now that they have their quarterback and tight end secured on long term deals? Well, according to Jeremy Fowler, San Francisco should next turn its attention to the defensive side of the ball.
“They have to do something with Fred Warner, star linebacker, probably the best in the game, only 28-years-old. He’s got really big cap hits the next two years – $29 million and $27 million. So, they want to re-work this deal, maybe extend him. Then you would have three stars done. You don’t have to worry about any more contracts really for the rest of the offseason,” Fowler noted on an episode of SportsCenter shared to his X account.
The 49ers can’t afford to lose Fred Warner
At the start of the offseason, Warner threw his support behind Purdy, declaring him the team’s quarterback of the future. Now it’s time to ensure the 49ers have Warner around for years to come on a deal that doesn’t cripple the team.
Warner is a four-time first-team All-Pro linebacker and unquestionably one of the most durable and ferocious tacklers in the game. Warner is so valuable to the 49ers’ defense that he’s led the team in total tackles in each of his seven career seasons in the NFL, beginning as a rookie in 2017, after the 49ers absolutely stole him in the third round of the draft.
In addition to his preternatural abilities as a defender, Warner has made himself invaluable to the team by also communicating plays from the coordinator to the defense on the field. He’s tasked with ensuring everybody is in the correct formation, much like a quarterback on defense.
Warner is all the more important after the 49ers lost defensive mainstays like Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga and Javon Hardgrave this offseason. San Francisco received the worst free agency grades for the 2025 offseason from PFF. But the 49ers have a chance to build for the future by securing Purdy, Kittle and Warner for the long term.
