49ers Bulletin: Loss of Warner dramatically lowers Niners’ 2025 ceiling

49ers fans don’t deserve this. A die hard fan base that has been to the prink of football immortality four times in the last six seasons simply doesn’t deserve to endure a second straight campaign of historically bad injury luck. The feeling that the faithful, as well as the Niners’ sideline and front office, experienced as their future hall of fame linebacker writhed in pain just five minutes into Sunday’s game, has become all too familiar. 

The CBS cameras cut to Kyle Shanahan as Warner was being whisked away on the dreaded cart, He was ashen-faced, a strained painful countenance that has seemingly been plastered on the ninth year head coach’s face since he walked off the field in Las Vegas in February 2024. 

Fred Warner is out for the season. He joins Nick Bosa as defensive starters with that dubious designation. If you’re wondering which two Niners Robert Saleh’s defense couldn’t afford to lose for any extended period of time this year, the answer is, without a doubt, Warner and Bosa. The sheer volume of injuries and their jaw-dropping degree of severity would almost be funny, if it weren’t such an unjust travesty.

Tim Ryan joined Murph & Markus on Monday morning for his weekly spot on the morning show. It was evident from the moment he came on the air just how devastated he is about the loss of Warner. Ryan conveyed his disappointment, and that of the entire fanbase, with a very simple sentence.

Most injured players are whisked away from the stadium in the moment, especially those who suffer injuries as severe as Warner’s dislocated ankle. But being the pure leader that he is, Warner stuck around. He gave a characteristic passionate speech to a depressed Niners locker room after the 30-19 defeat at the hands of the Buccaneers.

On Monday morning, Warner did his best to inspire an equally depressed fanbase with a heartfelt instagram post.

There was at least some good news on Monday. When Kyle Shanahn spoke via conference call with reporters, he announced that tight end George Kittle is likely to return on Sunday night against the Falcons. Kittle injured his hamstring about one quarter into the season in a week one win at Seattle. His return will be a breath of fresh air to say the least.

It’s too early to call a time of death on the 2025 Niners. It would be a fool’s errand to do so at 4-2. But the ceiling for the team, already diminished by the loss of Bosa, was just lowered even further. How can the front office realistically be expected to aggressively pursue a piece that will cost the team future assets? As the dust settles around the first noteworthy injury of Warner’s career, the questions are plenty more than the answers. Lick those wounds, Faithful. Better times can’t be promised this fall.