Shanahan: 49ers hoping Fred Warner could return in NFC title game

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said they're hoping star linebacker Fred Warner can be ready for next week.

BY BRENDEN NUNES

Jan 13, 2026, 9:13 PM Updated: 9:17 pm

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Injuries have hampered the San Francisco 49ers all season long, but they haven’t let that stop them. Left Tackle Trent Williams will be available for Saturday’s NFC Semifinals matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, and they’re hoping that star linebacker Fred Warner could return the following week should they advance.

Warner suffered a dislocated and fractured ankle in Week 6 but has progressed phenomenally well and is clearly striving to contribute to his team’s postseason chances.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the availability of Warner after Tuesday’s practice.

“We’re opening his (practice) window so he can do some stuff like that,” he told reporters in Santa Clara. “But again, we’re not doing much, so he’ll walk through out there with us today and things like that. But, hoping he can be ready for next week.”

Having earned All-Pro honors in each of the last three seasons, it’s no question how his presence would aid defensive coordinator Robert Saleh as he navigates a significantly shorthanded roster.

Warner said on a podcast last week that he’s “ready whenever they’re ready,” while acknowledging that there were still boxes to check before he returned to action. On Monday, he posted a video of himself doing individual non-contact work on his Instagram.

Fred Warner is progressing well 🤯

[via @fred_warner IG]pic.twitter.com/rU8UBKvKTJ

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) January 12, 2026

When asked if he has to hold Warner back from playing too early, Shanahan told reporters he approaches it “by doing what doctors tell me.”

“I’m like Fred. If he feels good and tells me he is good, I’m probably going to think he’s good and trust him to get out there. But, you can’t always think with your heart and emotionally and so you ask doctors where he is at. All the things that these guys have to pass, just protocols that we have in with just sprinting and jumping and things like that and he’s got to hit all those before we feel it’s safe.

With other linebackers, Tatum Behtune (groin), Dee Winters (ankle), Luke Gifford (quad), and Nick Martin (concussion symptoms) all either out or battling through their own injuries, they certainly would benefit from re-inserting what may be the best linebacker in football.

Of course, much would depend on how he looks, too. If the 49ers were to leave Seattle with a win — a big if — they’ll face either the Chicago Bears or Los Angeles Rams for a chance to reach the Super Bowl. Players returning from as significant an injury as Warner’s almost never immediately return to the level of production they had before the injury.

Shanahan did make it clear that once Warner is available, he’ll be out there. “As soon as he is ready, obviously it’ll be zero decision on my part,” he said.

More San Francisco 49ers coverage on Sactown Sports

While the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles instilled some hope that star linebacker Fred Warner could return for the next round of the playoffs, it’s looking unlikely that we will see the 29-year-old in action this weekend.

During Tuesday morning’s edition of The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows joined the show to share his thoughts on San Francisco’s Wild Card win over the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles and share injury updates on several key 49ers players, with Warner’s status at the top of the list.

Warner, who has been sidelined since Week 6 due to a fractured and dislocated right ankle, has been ramping up his activity in hopes of making a return to the gridiron this postseason.

It was previously thought that Warner could be an option for the 49ers in the Divisional Round, but Barrows says the four-time Pro Bowler will not be in action on Saturday against the rival Seattle Seahawks.

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