Fred Warner Agrees To Record-Setting Extension With San Francisco 49ers
Jul 21, 2021, 11:08 AM | Updated: 11:10 am
Fred Warner #54 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU football star Fred Warner has secured the bag from the San Francisco 49ers.
Warner agreed to an extension on Wednesday that now makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Compensation update: 49ers are giving Fred Warner a five-year, $95 million extension, including $40.5 million guaranteed, per source. https://t.co/XHOx8Iizln
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2021
The contract extension is good for five years, worth $95 million. But more importantly for Warner, the guaranteed money. The 49ers are guaranteeing $40.5 million to the former third-round NFL draft pick in 2018.
Fred Warner is the highest-paid ILB in NFL history
Warner’s massive extension makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the history of the NFL. The previous leader was another local, former Utah State Aggie and Seattle Seahawks star, Bobby Wagner.
Since the 49ers selected Warner with the 70th pick in the 2018 NFL draft, Warner has been a workhorse in the San Francisco defense.
Fred Warner's five-year, $95M extension makes him for now the highest paid ILB in NFL history (surpassing Bobby Wagner at $18M/year).
He's never missed a game, played 95% of the team's snaps, excels in pass coverage and quarterbacks their defense.
An elite player in his prime.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 21, 2021
Through three seasons, Warner has started in all 48 games recording 367 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits, three interceptions, and five forced fumbles.
Warner might not be the highest-paid inside linebacker for long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schaeffer, Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard is on track to get a four-year deal worth $19 million per year.
Schaeffer also noted that the 49ers made Warner the highest-paid linebacker for a variety of reasons. One, because of the way he plays on the field. But also, “they believe that Warner embodies all the traits they are looking for on and off the field,” tweeted Schefter.
49ers made Fred Warner the NFL's highest-paid linebacker – for now — not just because of the way he plays the game. They believe that Warner embodies all the traits they are looking for on and off the field.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2021
Last season, Warner was named a captain for the 49ers. It was the first time he received the captain’s “C” on his jersey in his career. He was also a leader at BYU, serving as a team captain for two of his four years in Provo.
During his BYU career from 2014-17, Warner finished with 262 tackles. The 24th most tackles for a BYU player all-time.
Warner signed with BYU out of high school, where he was a four-star recruit from Mission Hills High in San Marcos, California.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12-3 pm) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
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