SANTA CLARA — Fred Warner fractured and dislocated his ankle less than 100 days ago. And yet, he practiced with the 49ers on Wednesday. And although head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday that Warner will not play this Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks, Warner won’t rule out a return.`
“We’re taking it day by day,” Warner said on Wednesday at his locker. “I think they said last week that they weren’t going to open my window, and then my window is now open. So yeah, we’re taking it day by day.”
TRANSLATION: The 49ers probably won’t stand in Warner’s way when he insists he’s ready. And he seems to believe he’s extremely close.
“I feel amazing,” Warner said. “Just so grateful and blessed to be back. At first when this happened, I didn’t think about the possibility of returning midseason. The way things progressed, the opportunity to be back with my teammates and have a chance to help them win this week, that’s my only goal.”
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How in the world did Warner recover so quickly?
“It speaks to everybody that has been in my corner this entire time,” Warner said. “The trainers, the strength staff, the plan that they put together for me, helping push me along. It truly did take an army to help get me to this point. God bless my wife, she was nine months pregnant, trying to take care of me when I was on that scooter. I’m just blessed.”
At what point did Warner realize he had a chance to return this season?
“The question was asked during my first meeting with the doctor to see how the bone was healing,” Warner explained. “I put that question out there to him. It was probably a few weeks after my surgery. I said in a different world, would I be able to come back? And he said yeah, it’s a possibility.
“The first six weeks when you’re non-weight-bearing, those are all kind of the same. After that, you can manipulate the way that you rehab going forward aggressively — and safely, of course — to ultimately get back to this point. Still got a little ways to go before I’m fully cleared to step out there in a game.”
To the untrained eye, Warner looks fully ready to go. He went through individual drills with the other linebackers and looked as spry as ever. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready to play 60 minutes of NFL football.
For what it’s worth, 37-year-old Trent Williams has a sober, realistic outlook on Warner’s recovery.
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“The fact that Fred even has a jersey on less than 100 days after what happened to him, that just uplifts the team,” Williams said Wednesday at his locker. “Whether Fred takes the field during these playoffs or not, that’s motivation. Just having his face in this locker room, it helps everybody. It gives us a little boost of energy just seeing his face.”
TRANSLATION: Warner doesn’t necessarily need to return to the field and play like an All-Pro to help the team. Just his mere possibility that he could return at all gives the team hope, and the fact that he’s working to return so quickly inspires them.
Anything more would be a bonus.
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