49Ers Sign LB Warner to Massive Extension

The three-year, $63 million contract makes Warner the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL.

Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers takes the field prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara, Calif., at Levi's Stadium on Dec. 12, 2024. Thearon W. Henderson /Getty Images

Fred Warner has officially become the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL.

The San Francisco 49ers signed Warner to a three-year, $63 million extension. Warner has led the team in tackles every year since he was drafted by the team, and holds a number of team records. He is also a 4-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro.

“Fred’s leadership is exemplary and his approach to his craft is contagious,” 49ers President of Football Operations and General Manager John Lynch said in an announcement on the team website.

“Fred sets the tone for our entire team with the consistency, speed and physicality with which he plays. Off the field, his passion, energy, and professionalism are second to none and truly embody what it means to be a Niner. We are extremely proud to get this extension done and lock Fred in for the future.”

“We’re here to stay, baby,” Warner said in a selfie video posted to the team’s page on X.

“It was a dream when I got drafted here in 2018 and it’s still a dream to this day. I know we’ve been through some great times these first seven years, but the story is only beginning, and we know what we’re after. Let’s go chase it, let’s go get it.”

According to Spotrac, Warner’s deal includes $56 million in guaranteed money. His contract is third among all NFL inside linebackers in total value, while his $21 million annual salary is the highest in the league at his position.

The 49ers drafted Warner out of Brigham Young University in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He won the starting job in his rookie season and has started every game of his seven-year career.

Warner has also led the team in tackles in each of his seven seasons, and his record of 896 career tackles is second in team history behind Hall of Famer Patrick Willis’s 950. His 53 pass defenses are tied for first among linebackers in team history, and his 15 forced fumbles rank second among 49ers LBs. He also has 10 interceptions and 10 sacks, making him just the second player after four-time Super Bowl champion Keena Turner, the current 49ers vice president and senior adviser to the general manager. Two of his interceptions have been returned for touchdowns.

Warner had his best statistical season in 2021, recording 137 total tackles, including 79 solo and a career high 7 tackles for loss. He has had at least 130 tackles in each of the previous four seasons, one of just three players to do so. Warner and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith are the only two LBs since 2000 with 115 or more tackles in each of their first seven seasons.

Warner is a four-time Pro Bowler and a four-time First-Team All-Pro; he won his first selections to each in 2020, and again in each of the past three seasons.

Warner is the third keystone player to get a long-term deal. The Niners signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a 5-year, $265 million contract extension. That deal is the fifth-largest contract in the entire NFL, and his $53 million annual salary is the eighth-highest in the league. It also included $181 million guaranteed. San Francisco also signed tight end George Kittle to a four-year, $76.4 million deal with $40 million guaranteed in late April. That deal made Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the league.

Purdy, Kittle, and Warner are all key pieces of a 49ers team that went to the NFC Championship Game in the 2022–2023 season and Super Bowl LVIII in the 2023–2024 season. But two record-setting contracts and a massive quarterback contract add to an expensive roster. The 49ers own three of the 30 largest contracts in the NFL in terms of total value: Purdy, defensive end Nick Bosa, and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. They also have four of the top 50 contracts in terms of annual salary: Purdy, Bosa, Aiyuk, and left tackle Trent Williams.

It also came with a cost, as several key players left in free agency. Cornerback Charvarius Ward signed with the Indianapolis Colts; defensive tackle Javon Hargrave signed with the Minnesota Vikings; Dre Greenlaw, who started alongside Warner for six seasons, and safety Talanoa Hufanga both signed with the Denver Broncos; and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd signed with the Atlanta Falcons, among other departures.