The San Francisco 49ers have gotten some exciting news on injured linebacker Fred Warner.
Warner suffered a dislocated right ankle back in October that was supposed to end his season. However, there is now a possibility he could return for the playoffs.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Warner is believed to have a chance to return for the NFC Championship Game if the Niners make it that far, although a return for the Super Bowl is considered more likely.
That said, Rapoport and Garafolo note that Warner would likely only have a limited role. Even still, simply having Warner in uniform and on the field would amount to a massive momentum boost for the 49ers.
"Sources informed of Warner's situation say there is a chance that Warner's rehab could be going well enough for him to make a cameo in the NFC Championship Game if San Francisco is a participant or more likely Super Bowl LX, should it win the conference title," Rapoport and Garafolo wrote. "And even then, it would likely be in spot duty. Any early return might put him at risk of further injury."
Earlier this week, 49ers general manager John Lynch was the first one to open the door for Warner to play again this season.
"I won't put anything past him," Lynch told KNBR.
"I think it's a thing that will remain to be seen," Lynch added. "But I know he's putting his heart and soul and his incredible work ethic to work every single day in an effort to do that."
While that's all well and good, the Niners will have to make a deep playoff run to even give Warner a chance to play.
As things stand now, the Niners are going to the playoffs, and they have a chance to make their path to the NFC title game a bit easier if they can secure the No. 1 seed, something San Fran can do by winning out.
The Niners have as good a shot as any NFC team to make a deep run in the playoffs after what we've seen of head coach Kyle Shanahan's group, so it's not crazy to think we could see Warner play again this season.