Fred Warner is here to stay. The 49ers officially signed the star linebacker to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2026 season.
The deal reportedly is worth $95 million ($40.5 million guaranteed), which is a record for a linebacker. Of course, there were some Twitter rumblings Wednesday when news broke of Warner's contract. Some believed it wasn't a wise decision to spent that much money on a linebacker.
General manager John Lynch says otherwise.
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SIGN UP HERE “We’re extremely excited to have completed a long-term contract extension with Fred prior to the start of training camp,” Lynch said Thursday in an official team statement. “Fred brings the type of leadership and energy every day that our defense and team feeds off. He earned this extension through hard work, discipline, and the professional way he goes about his business.
"We look forward to watching him continue to play at an elite level for us well into the future. Now it’s time to go to work.”
The 49ers selected Warner out of BYU in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He quickly became perhaps the best linebacker in football.
Warner already has racked up 367 tackles, four sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and 21 passes defensed. He has averaged 122 tackles, 1.3 sacks, 1.7 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception and seven passes defensed per season. Warner also hasn't missed a single game in his NFL career.
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RELATED: Warner's extension means 49ers must ask even more of star
The former third-round draft pick was named to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro for the first time last season. Now, he's the highest-paid player at his position.
And he earned every penny.