It has been a world wind 72 hours in the Bay Area for their football team. After taking care of star quarterback ‘Mr. Irrelevant’, Brock Purdy, with a massive new deal, the San Francisco 49ers rewarded another difference maker on the other side of the ball.
According to ESPN’s senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the 49ers signed star linebacker Fred Warner to a three-year, $63 million contract extension on Monday that includes over $56 million in guaranteed money, making him the NFL’s highest-paid linebacker. His previous deal was set to expire at the conclusion of the 2026 campaign.
Jennifer Lee Chan, NBC Sports Bay Area writer, had reported on Sunday that the 49ers were “very close to finalizing a multiyear contract extension” with Warner that “likely will make the All-Pro the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL.”
This adds to a busy offseason in San Francisco. The team signed Purdy to a five-year, $265 million deal that includes $181 million in overall guaranteed money on Friday, May 16. Also, the 49ers signed star tight end George Kittle to a four-year, $76.4 million extension that made him the highest-paid tight end in the league.
Like with Kittle this offseason and running back Christian McCaffrey in 2024, Warner’s deal was more about moving money around, adding some guarantees and lowering his near-term salary cap figures.
Under the terms of his old deal, Warner was scheduled to count $29.17 million against the 2025 cap and $26.71 million against the 2026 salary cap. Both numbers would have been easily among the two highest at the position in the NFL. Those numbers are expected to dip dramatically with the extension.
Embed from Getty ImagesWarner, 28 years-of-age, has been one of the 49ers elite defensive players since he arrived in the league as a third-round pick in the 2018 draft out of BYU. He has been a menace on the field, recording over 100 tackles in each of his seven years in the NFL, earning four Pro Bowl nods and All-Pro first-team honors four times.
In 2024, Warner was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the 49ers, as he produced 131 total tackles, a sack, four forced fumbles, seven passes defended and two picks, one of which was returned to the house for a touchdown. San Francisco finished with a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
By signing Warner to Monday’s extension, the 49ers are ensuring that one of the most consistent defensive players in the NFL will continue to lead them into the future, as they try to earn their first Super Bowl title since 1994 with Steve Young under center.
