San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner has reportedly made a significant move toward a possible return to the playoffs as the Niners prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
The Niners opened Warner’s 21-day practice window Tuesday, opening the door to a possible return to the NFC Finals after he dislocated and fractured his right ankle in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 12.
“We open the window. We don’t do a lot of things (in practice), he will be with us today. But we hope he can be ready next week,” Kyle Shanahan said.
Warner was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday’s practice.
“You could feel the energy. You can feel it when it is present. It was amazing, I’m excited for him,” said tackle CJ West.
As Shanahan said, the Niners won’t be doing much on-field work or full-speed drills this week as they prepare to face the Seahawks. This is the third time in four weeks that San Francisco has played a game with less than a full week of rest.
So that means Warner won’t have a chance to practice much, but since we’re 25 days away from the Super Bowl, it makes sense to have his practice window open because the season will end a few days after his 21-day window ends.
Warner told “The Ryen Russillo Show” this week that he’s “ready whenever they’re ready,” adding that he’s “practicing hard” and starting “football drills” again.
Warner was seen on an adjacent field last Thursday for the first time since the injury and he later shared footage of his training on Instagram.
Shanahan said Tuesday that Warner didn’t insist on returning to the game sooner, at least not verbally.
“That’s not Fred’s style,” Shanahan said. He lets it be known (that he wants to come back) by showing how hard he works, he knows we’re watching. »
Warner has been on injured reserve since mid-October and missed the final 12 games of the season, as well as the 49ers’ first playoff game last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Even though he is progressing, he still needs to continue his rehabilitation before he can play again and have the green light from the doctors.
“I stick to what the doctors tell me. I’m like Fred; If he feels good and tells me he can play, I’ll probably trust him. But we can’t always think with our heart and with emotion, so we have to ask doctors where it is. The guys have to go through a lot, the protocols to follow, jumping and running, things like that. He has to pass all the tests before we are comfortable playing him. »
Additionally, tight end George Kittle is expected to have surgery Wednesday for his torn Achilles tendon and will be placed on injured reserve.
