Niners LB Fred Warner (ankle) ahead of schedule in rehab, could potentially return deep into playoffs

Warner had surgery on Tuesday, Oct. 14, while Tatum Bethune has mostly filled in for him. The injury carries a 4-6 month recovery timetable.

By that count, the earliest Warner could be back would be Super Bowl LX on Feb 8, and that’s as aggressive as it gets.

One of the quickest recoveries in recent memory from this injury was Terrell Suggs at five months, and even that was nerve-racking.

That said, if Warner was able to get on the field in any form or fashion, it would be a boost. One of the game’s best, Warner has also been the team’s most durable, playing in every game since 2018 at an incredibly high level until his injury.

Warner has not yet weighed in on Lynch’s prognostication, but he recently told The Ryen Russillo Show that his focus is on the road back.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Warner said. “God has a plan. I was telling guys that as I’m getting carted off and they’re feeling sorry for me — like, ‘I’ll be good.'”