49ers dish out another pricey extension, making Fred Warner highest-paid LB

The San Francisco 49ers locked up another core player with a lucrative extension, agreeing to a three-year extension with All-Pro Fred Warner that makes him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in NFL history.

A person familiar with the deal said Monday that the sides reached an agreement on the contract worth $63 million that keeps Warner locked up through the 2029 season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the deal.

ESPN first reported the extension and said it includes more than $56 million in guaranteed money.

The deal with Warner is the third extension San Francisco reached with one of its star players since the draft, having previously given quarterback Brock Purdy a $265 million, five-year extension and tight end George Kittle a $76.4 million, four-year deal.

Locking up key players with early extensions means the Niners will likely head into the summer with no contract drama for the first time in several years.

Receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tackle Trent Williams missed most of training camp last year in contract disputes, after San Francisco dealt with similar problems in 2023 with defensive end Nick Bosa and 2022 with receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.

Warner had two years remaining on the five-year, $95 million extension he signed in 2021 that was the richest at the time for an off-ball linebacker and ranked second to Baltimore’s Roquan Smith before this new deal.

The $21 million per year for Warner tops Smith’s $20 million average to once again make Warner the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in terms of average annual value.

Warner has shown he deserves it as he has developed into one of the top defensive players in the NFL after being drafted in the third round in 2021. He has been a first-team All-Pro the past three seasons and in four of the past five as one of the key cogs in San Francisco’s defense thanks to his ability to thrive in both run and pass defense.

The only active players currently under contract with more first-team All-Pro selections than the four for Warner are Bobby Wagner (six) and Tyreek Hill (five).

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Warner had 131 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven passes defensed and four forced fumbles last season despite playing most of the season with a broken bone in his ankle.

Warner has 10 sacks, 10 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 36 tackles for loss and 53 passes defensed in his first seven seasons. His 896 career tackles rank fourth most in the NFL since 2018 and has missed only one game in seven seasons.

Warner is one of three active players with at least 10 sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles, along with Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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